Author: Zhang Yanguo (Chief Expert, Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Chinese Social Transformation Research, Jiangxi Normal University, Professor, Nanchang Normal University)
In the new era, Chinese historiography is facing rare development opportunities, both from all walks of life and strong vitality from the development of disciplines. Shouldering the heavy responsibility of the times, giving play to the function of historiography, and promoting the prosperity and development of historiography in the new era, contemporary historians must adhere to the guidance of the materialist view of history, adhere to the people-centered orientation, base themselves on the land of China, focus on contemporary issues, accelerate the construction of a discipline system, academic system, and discourse system of history with Chinese characteristics, and make due contributions to the writing of the history of human civilization.
Adhere to the guidance of the materialist view of history and scientific theory
Mr. Zhang Kaiyuan, a famous historian, once said: "History is the past that has come to an end, and historiography is an endless voyage." To ensure that historical research is realistic and truthful in the "long voyage", to be stable and far-reaching, and to play the role of applying it to the world, accumulating culture, and inheriting civilization, it is necessary to have a "compass" and an internal error correction mechanism to ensure that the direction is correct. For history, the materialist view of history and its methods are the steering wheel and health mechanism that ensure that historical research and discipline development are on the scientific track.
The materialist view of history is not only the cornerstone of the founding of Marxist theory, but also the theoretical basis for putting historical research on the scientific track and becoming a science. The beacon of the materialist view of history and its methods illuminates the once dark historical archives, gives scientific theoretical guidance and methodological basis for the study of history, and criticizes all previous historical views that have misled people's ideological understanding, such as the theological view of history, the heroic view of history, and the idealistic view of history, making the materialist view of history a watershed between historical science and all non-historical sciences, making the materialist view of history a touchstone for distinguishing whether all historical views are scientific or not, thus opening up a thoroughfare for historical research.
With its rigorous logical thinking and irrefutable theoretical summary, the materialist view of history has solved the major question of "whether history is art or science" that has long plagued people, thus establishing a scientific paradigm for historical research: in studying any historical problem, we must proceed from the strictest historical facts and seek truth from facts. From historical facts, not from the ideas in people's minds; Fully grasp a large number of first-hand information, through meticulous research, theoretical summary, revealing the historical laws hidden behind the complex historical appearances; Through the scientific grasp of historical laws, we guide people to correctly grasp the direction of history and open up the future. The materialist view of history is precisely through the regular study of the development of human society, which completely reveals the basic appearance of where human society comes from and where it goes, which is a "natural historical process" from prehistoric society, through class society, to higher forms of public ownership. Because the materialist view of history holds that "in the field of historiography, it is necessary to proceed from the existing facts" and reveal the most essential connection in historical relations, the scientific nature of historical research becomes the background of historical science. Historical research revolves around the development of man and the essence of man, that is, Marx's definition of "man's emancipation", "this liberated mind is philosophy, its heart is the proletariat", so that the people's nature has become the essence of Marxist historical science. Historical research studies the development of human society as a complete historical process, regards the replacement of social forms as a revolutionary leap, and in particular regards the capitalist system as a "stage of development in the transition of history" rather than as "the absolute final form of social production", and the proletariat is the gravedigger of capitalist society, revealing that human society has finally entered communist society through the process of "world history". Therefore, the marxist historical science is revolutionary and thorough. The materialist view of history and its methods give historical research the essential requirements of scientific, people's, revolutionary and thorough, and provide fundamental guidelines for historical research.
Of course, the materialist view of history is not an answer to all historical questions, nor can it provide ready-made answers to complex historical changes, but it does provide scientific theories and effective methods for people to form correct thinking. The materialist view of history is not only a banner for the construction of the discipline of history, but also the ideological guidance of historical research, and it is also the living soul of the discourse expression of historiography; Adhering to the materialist view of history not only reflects the academic height reached by people in the field of historical understanding in modern times, but also demonstrates the theoretical persuasiveness of historical research results.
Adhering to the materialist view of history is the fundamental experience of the development of modern historiography on the mainland
After the May Fourth New Culture Movement, the materialist view of history was not only a bright theoretical banner for the CPC to lead the Chinese people to carry out the new-democratic revolution and socialist revolution, as well as construction and reform, but also the guiding ideology in the ideological and cultural fields, including the field of historical research.
The materialist view of history has brought revolutionary changes to the development of modern Chinese historiography and is a remarkable symbol in the history of Chinese historiography. As an important content of Marxist theory, with the spread of Marxism in modern China, the materialist view of history and its methods have gradually developed into a rolling wave in the Chinese ideological circles after the Penghu Reform Law, which has been accepted and convinced by more and more people. In the historiography of the May Fourth period, as Described by Li Dazhao: "Few of the history professors in higher education institutions were enthusiastic about creating a new kind of society without being influenced by the materialist view of history. Under the leadership and impetus of a number of early advanced elements such as Li Dazhao, Qu Qiubai, Cai Hesen, etc., the materialist view of history has taken root in the Chinese historical circles, opening up the fields of historical theory and historiography, the history of the Chinese revolution, the history of imperialist invasion of China, the history of social evolution, the history of international relations, the history of Chinese culture, and the history of China' economy.
For more than a hundred years, the materialist view of history has led the development of Chinese historiography and refreshed the face of Chinese historical research. Under the guidance of the materialist view of history theory and method, a group of Chinese historians have thrived. More and more historians consciously study and apply the materialist view of history and its methods to study history, and constantly expand the ranks of Marxist historical research, as Mr. Tang Changru said: "In the process of research, I have profoundly realized that in order to solve the fundamental problems in history, we must master the theory of Marxism-Leninism. Among them, a number of famous scholars who can be called masters of Chinese Marxist historiography have emerged, such as Guo Moruo, Fan Wenlan, Zhai Bozan, Lü Zhenyu, Hou Wailu, Hu Sheng, Liu Danian and other iconic figures, who have used the materialist view of history and its methods to study historical issues, and have played an exemplary and leading role in the Field of Chinese Historiography. Under the guidance of the materialist view of history and its methods, the field of historical research has been continuously explored, and innovative research results have emerged. Closely related to the epochal issues of social development, historians have focused on the nature of Modern Chinese Society, the clues of China's modern social revolution, the history of the liberation of the Chinese nation, the General History System of China and its Theory, the System of Modern Chinese History, the Periodization of Ancient Chinese History, the Forms of Feudal Land Ownership in China, the Peasant War in Chinese Feudal Society, the Budding of Chinese Capitalism, the Formation of the Han Nation, the Long-term Continuation of Chinese Feudal Society, the Theory and Method of Evaluating Historical Figures, the History of Chinese Social economy, the history of Chinese modernization, the comparative study of Chinese and Western history, and the ecological history of China The study of major issues such as the origin of Chinese civilization and the pattern of the diversified and integrated development of the Chinese nation has enriched the research content of modern Chinese historiography, expanded the research horizon of modern Chinese historiography, and accelerated the construction of the discipline system, academic system and discourse system of history with Chinese characteristics.
For more than a hundred years, the materialist view of history and its methods have been deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese historical research, forming a new tradition of historiography that advances with the times and innovates and develops, and constantly expanding the new path and new form of the development of modern Chinese historiography. On the one hand, it organically combines the excellent Chinese historical tradition, such as recounting the past and knowing the past, examining the past and examining the present, and "investigating the changes of the ancient and modern at the time of heaven and man", with the Marxist demand for scientific historical conclusions that "only by relying on a large number of critically examined and fully grasped historical materials" can be drawn; On the other hand, the use of materialist historical theories and methods to study historical issues is organically combined with the requirements of "not forgetting the original, absorbing foreign countries, and facing the future", and constantly opening up a smooth road for the sinification of Marxist historical theory and the construction of China's modern historical system.
Adhering to the materialist view of history is an inevitable requirement for the development of Chinese historiography in the new era
In the new era, to build a discipline system, academic system, and discourse system of history with Chinese characteristics, we must adhere to the materialist view of history, find the theoretical foothold, scientific foundation and academic history orientation of Chinese historiography, and embark on a broad path to promote the development of historical science.
The materialist view of history is the theoretical cornerstone for building a discipline system, academic system, and discourse system of history with Chinese characteristics. The construction of the "three major systems" of contemporary Chinese historiography is a complementary and organically linked whole. Among them, the guidance and guidance of theory are indispensable. The history of human civilization shows that if a nation wants to stand at the peak of science, it cannot leave theoretical thinking for a moment. The materialist view of history is the theoretical cornerstone for integrating, innovating and developing the disciplinary system, academic system and discourse system of Chinese historiography. Adhering to the materialist view of history is the theoretical arming of Chinese historians in the new era and the only way to prosper Chinese historiography in the new era.
The materialist view of history is an important basis for giving play to the role of historical research and improving the social function of historiography. "History is the best textbook." The purpose of revisiting and studying history is to sum up historical experience, grasp the laws of history, and enhance the courage and strength to forge ahead in a pioneering spirit. Focusing on the social function of historiography and attaching importance to and deepening historical research, Chinese historiography should pay attention to the problems of the times, China and the world, bear in mind the "great power of the country", look at the development trend of human civilization, organically combine the reality of the materialist view of history with the fine tradition of Chinese historiography, understand the past, closely follow the present, and lead the future.
The materialist view of history is an ideological arming for building a contingent of high-quality historians and promoting the innovative development of Chinese historiography in the new era. The key to achieving a great cause lies in people; The key to improving people's comprehensive quality and ability lies in arming them ideologically. To promote the innovative development of Chinese historiography in the new era and to do historical research with a cultural soul, ideological quality, and responsibility for the times, we must adhere to the banner of materialistic historical theory, educate and arm historians with materialistic views on history, dare to "shine the sword" at all erroneous views of history and historical thought, temper academic character and enhance ideological accomplishment while upholding the truth, and shoulder the mission of historians in the new era.
(This article is the phased result of the 2021 major bidding project of the National Social Science Foundation of China Historical Research Institute on major historical issues)
Guangming Daily (2022-08-15, 14th edition)
Source: Guangming Network - Guangming Daily