This article analyzes the history and the theoretical underpinnings of one of the most wellknown German contemporary historiographical traditions, namely, the historical social science. Departing from the criticism leveled at social history from historians hailing from new cultural history, micro-history and the history of everyday-life, the author attempts to deepen the capacity of historical social science for self-reflection by means of a survey of its limits and future perspectives. His proposed reconstruction of many of social history’s theoretical and methodological presuppositions is synthesized by the term historical science of society.
