Fernand Braudel

Fernand Braudel was a French historian known for his influential ideas in historiography and historical methodology. He emphasized the importance of long-term social, economic, and environmental structures (which he called "la longue durée") over individual events. This approach allowed for a deeper understanding of history by examining broader patterns over time. Braudel's work, particularly in "The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World," integrated social and cultural history, highlighting how geography and everyday life shape human experiences. His methods encouraged historians to consider multiple layers of time and context, paving the way for new ways of understanding history.