BLOCK Mark

(1886-1944)

French historian, one of the leading medievalists (medieval scholar) of our century, both known and as a scientist, laid in 1929. with his friend and fellow L. Feb beginning of the 'Annals' - one of the trends in modern foreign historiography.

Block is largely a new understanding of the historical problems of science and presented them in the famous 'Apology of history', written in 1941 - 1942 he. and published in the USSR in 1973 and 1986. Scientists have long periods of history, its underlying currents. His preference was not narrative documents with their subjectivism, and other evidence of the past: cultural artifacts, changes that have occurred over time in the language, rites and rituals, folklore, and place names. 'The research field of' the historian and expanded through interaction with other disciplines: geography, demography, sociology, psychology. Enriched by these contacts, history was to become, according to Block, the main and synthesizing the human sciences.

. Representations of the scientist about the function of historical science, echoed his approach to social phenomena, which he considered in their entirety, establishing relationships and dependencies between different components
. It is from such a position described the scientist feudalism in the two-volume 'Feudal Society', published in 1939 - 1940 he. In its research unit is widely used comparative-historical method, by comparing data from different countries and regions. Using this method, he established a general, typical properties of the studied and at the same time showing his unique appearance and variety.

Block specialized in the economic, especially in the agricultural, history. He wrote the book belong to 'Kings and serfs' (1920), 'Characteristics of French agrarian history' (1931), Russian translation of which appeared in 1957,. It is no accident based Block with L. Feb magazine called 'Annals of economic and social history'. However, the scientist interested in the problem of human consciousness. At the same time in the center of his attention were not the highest achievements of thought and mentality of the overwhelming majority of the people. He sought to understand the popular consciousness: the religious beliefs and behavioral norms in respect to nature and intimate. Power stressed the inadmissibility of the analysis of the psychology of the people of the Middle Ages to modern schemes of rational thinking. He explained why their actions are often at variance with the seemingly elementary logic. The reason was the belief in all sorts of wonders and miracles and the brutal conditions of life. Hence - the instability of the human psyche and the abrupt changes in behavior.

Member of two world wars, active fighter against the Nazi occupiers, M. Block in 1944. was captured by them and executed.