Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Legal History

Abstract

Where is legal history heading today? This is a concern that is not exclusive to those of us who encouraged the dialogue that gave rise to this volume. 1 Indeed, in recent times broad sectors within the academic community have experienced a sense of having gone adrift with regard to the history that, in general terms, has ceased to meet a very concrete -and prolific -aim in the construction of national entities, and is in need of new challenges to endow it with meaning as a discipline.Assuredly, legal history's bearings are an issue directly related to the purpose we want it to achieve, and therefore, the specific aim toward which we wish to guide it. The perception over the last few years, however, is that we are bereft of a firm course or major themes, aims or perspectives.Despite this uncertainty, however, two facts are clearly discernible. The first is that we must continue to reflect deeply and persistently on the problems and challenges posed in a global world to the social and legal sciences 1 The essays that have shaped this book are the result of the proposals and reflections shared at the international seminar Ambiti geografici e dimensioni temporali nella storia del diritto: esperienze e percorsi di ricerca, held at the Scuola Superiore Giacomo Leopardi, Università di Macerata, on 20 th and 21 th June 2013. This event took place within the framework of the international agreement between Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Università degli Studi di Macerata. The contributions of the members of the former institution (A. Agüero, J. Barrientos, L. Beck, M. Lorente and J. Solla) have been carried out within the research project of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation with reference DER2014-56291-C3-1-P. We extend our thanks to Thomas Duve for his proposal to publish this volume as part of this collection, and to Ludovica Bosica for her diligent editing.