It is obvious that a non-historical, non-cross-disciplinary approach will not give a satisfactory answer to the big questions faced by the Social Sciences. It is true that the danger of extreme specialization (what Toynbee called the industrialization of thought), is partially imposed by the high technical level accomplished in the social sciences. However, to understand an increasingly complex society we must not forget the convenience of stimulating collaboration among scholars from different disciplines. For that reason, the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (IMDEA Social Sciences) promotes the analysis of the social problems of our time from a historical and cross-disciplinary perspective.