How did Herder’s ideas contribute to the development of the historical sense?

Johann Gottfried von Herder was a pivotal figure in the development of the "historical sense," a revolutionary shift in European thought that moved away from applying static, universal laws to human behavior. His contributions fundamentally reshaped how historians approach the past:1

• Cultural Relativism: Herder argued that human actions and achievements must be understood within their specific "time, place, and national character". He posited that each culture possesses a distinct collective identity, or Volksseele ("ethnic soul"), which allows it to be judged within its own unique context rather than by Enlightenment standards of rationality.123
• Rejection of Abstract Formulas: He insisted that past thought and action cannot be explained by reference to abstract, eternally valid laws. Instead, he emphasized that each society has a unique lifestyle that shapes the mentalities of its people, rendering attempts to reduce human needs to simple formulas futile.1
• Historical Imagination: Herder elevated the historical imagination, arguing that the spiritual development of a people must be grasped through an act of insight rather than purely rational processes.2
• Shift in Focus: He redirected historical inquiry away from traditional political and diplomatic history toward social, cultural, and intellectual history.2