Abstract Resilience is a boundary object, holding different meanings for the different groups of scholars who share its use. Here we survey its application in historical research, especially premodern environmental history, and trace how the term entered historical discourse from ecology. A shift in recent decades expanded the term initially toward contemporary social science and subsequently the study of the past. This has resulted in a fuzzy conceptualization of the term within historical discourse. Yet the concept has nevertheless proven important in challenging catastrophist approaches to the societal impacts of environmental stressors (e.g., the fall of the Roman Empire). We demonstrate that today’s discussion continues an earlier twentieth-century debate between an environmentally determinist view and one that emphasizes the role of human factors in the course of history. We conclude that despite the issues accompanying the use of the term and the application of formal resilience theory, both remain valuable, especially in intradisciplinary discourse, primarily as a paradigm through which more nuanced arguments can be framed. We conclude by suggesting the value of more critical work with the term in the future to take advantage of its roots in ecology and the social sciences to promote such a nuanced synthesis.

Lee Mordechai

John Haldon

The American Historical Review

The American Historical Review (AHR) is the official publication of the American Historical Association (AHA). The AHA was founded in 1884 and chartered by Congress in 1889 to serve the interests of the entire discipline of history. Aligning with the AHA’s mission, the AHR has been the journal of record for the historical profession in the United States since 1895—the only journal that brings together scholarship from every major field of historical study. The AHR is unparalleled in its efforts to choose articles that are new in content and interpretation and that make a contribution to historical knowledge.

The American Historical Review (AHR) is the official publication of the American Historical Association (AHA). Founded in 1884 and chartered by Congress in 1889, the AHA serves the interests of the entire discipline of history. Since 1895, the AHR has been the journal of record for the historical profession in the United States, uniquely bringing together scholarship from every major field of historical study. The AHR is unparalleled in its efforts to select articles that are new in content and interpretation, contributing significantly to historical knowledge.

《American Historical Review》是美国历史协会（AHA）的官方出版物。AHA成立于1884年，并于1889年获得国会特许，旨在服务于整个历史学科的利益。自1895年以来，《American Historical Review》一直是美国历史专业的记录期刊，是唯一汇集各个主要历史研究领域学术成果的期刊。该期刊在选择内容新颖、解读独特并对历史知识有贡献的文章方面，具有无与伦比的努力。

Category	Quartile
历史学	1
历史学, 历史学	1

Resilience in Environmental History Discourse

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