Critical Theory of World History

The application of Critical Theory to the study of world history—examining how global historical narratives are constructed, whose stories are told, and whose are erased. Critical Theory of World History asks: Who writes world history? From whose perspective? How have Eurocentric narratives dominated, and what's been left out? How does world history serve contemporary power relations? Drawing on postcolonial theory, world-systems analysis, and global history, it insists that world history is never just what happened—it's always a story told from somewhere, for some purpose. Understanding world history requires understanding its politics.

"World history is just facts, they say. Critical Theory of World History asks: facts selected by whom? Told from whose perspective? Standard world history is European history with cameos by everyone else. Critical theory insists on telling history from below, from the margins, from the colonies—not just what happened, but who got to say what happened."

Critical Theory of World History by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 4, 2026