The study of western history in Korea has rapidly developed in the past 10 years. The field, topic, object, methode of historical research expanded enormously, the point of view and the perception of history have changed fundamentally in particular. It is a critical mind from the historical theory and the history of historiography that led this advances of the study of western history. But now the scholars who pose a problem and criticize a classical historiography stand in the center of the Korean academic society of western history: The situation has changed. As a result, the historical theory and the history of historiography lost vitality of the past. At this moment in time, the history of ideas is more energetic and dynamic than the historical theory and the history of historiography. The disputatious and productive discourses come out in the field of history of ideas. The main reason why the history of ideas make a new leap forward is that it is based on the critical mind to change the present.