Methodology of “History of Concepts”: From a Theory to Practice Study of Social Thought History in Russia in Early 19th Century

Abstract. The author offers principles and methods of application of the “history of concepts” methodology in the works on history of social thought. The research model is based on the comparative-contextual and problem-comparative method of analysis of texts created in the process of public and personal communication. The example of matching content and context of “law/rights” utilization in legislation, dictionaries, textbooks, projects and petitions created at the turn of 18th – first quarter of the 19th century revealed contradictions in views of Russian citizens about the nature of personal rights and character of intra- and inter- strata interactions.

Keywords: history of concepts, methods of historical research, history of public thought, civil rights, history of Russia in the first quarter of 19th century, problem-comparative analysis, comparative contextual analysis.