eBay and research in historical geography

The electronic trading forum eBay presents fascinating but under-examined possibilities for research in historical geography. With literally millions of items for sale and millions of users participating in on-line auctions there seems little limit to what one might find. In this essay, three authors briefly trace the history of auctions and of eBay, before explaining how eBay works, and then describing some of the ways that buying (or not buying) research materials on eBay has changed the ways that we think about our work. We further explore some of the implications—empirical, theoretical, methodological and ethical—that the availability of such items to the highest bidder presents, address some of the consequences for the socially constructed and place-specific nature of value that on-line auctioning reveals, and ponder some of the implications of this for contemporary consumption.     

Monoamine theories of depression: historical impact on biomedical research

Monoamine theories associate depression with reduced brain monoamine levels. These theories achieved broad popularity in the mid-1960s. The present article reviews the historical development of monoamine theories and their subsequent impact on biomedical research. Alleged divisions between West European and US researchers over competing versions of the theories are investigated using bibliometrics. Subsequently, the application of monoamine theories in the NIMH Collaborative Program on the Psychobiology of Depression is covered. The article argues that the impact of monoamine theories is best explained by the ability of researchers, governmental agencies, and pharmaceutical companies to invoke theories that advance various projects and agendas.     

Phantom penis: historical dimensions

Interest in sensations from removed body parts other than limbs has increased with modern surgical techniques. This applies particularly to operations (e.g., gender-changing surgeries) that have resulted in phantom genitalia. The impression given in modern accounts, especially those dealing with phantoms associated with penis amputation, is that this is a recently discovered phenomenon. Yet the historical record reveals several cases of phantom penises dating from the late-eighteenth century and the early-nineteenth century. These cases, recorded by some of the leading medical and surgical figures of the era, are of considerable historical and theoretical significance. This is partly because these phantoms were associated with pleasurable sensations, in contrast to the loss of a limb, which for centuries had been associated with painful phantoms. We here present several early reports on phantom penile sensations, with the intent of showing what had been described and why more than 200 years ago.     

现代历史地理学对当前淮河流域史研究的启示

在区域史的学术语境下,现代历史地理学对于当前淮河流域史研究具有一定的启示。首先表现在学术理念上,动态时空理念有助于对历史时期淮河流域空间范围的把握,借鉴人地关系、关怀现实这些理念,不仅可以对历史时期淮河流域复杂的人地关系进行学术层面的探讨与研究,同时,对于当前淮河流域的社会经济发展和环境改善也具有现实意义。其次表现在治学方法上,空间要素的分析、综合、比较有助于揭示淮河流域作为一个独立历史地理单元存在的事实,而文献记载与野外考察相结合的方法则可以加深研究者对淮河流域历史与现实的理解。     

从芒砀到丰沛:汉高祖刘邦起兵发微

从丰西纵徒到夺取沛县,刘邦在这两年多时间的活动史书多有阙失。从零散资料发微表明,其间刘邦在芒砀山制造舆论、积聚力量、等待时机,为起兵反秦做准备工作。陈胜、吴广大泽乡起义,天下云集响应,刘邦距张楚政权最近,并与陈胜的重要谋士张耳有故交,但为了独立发展,始终没有与陈胜义军发生任何联系。在夺取沛县之前,应有一个丰邑起兵的过程,这是刘邦正式起兵反秦的开始。     

究竟应当以怎样的历史观指导我们的研究——兼与蒋大椿教授讨论

以真理性的历史观念指导我们的研究,是一个极其重要的问题;而且,由于长期以来教条主义统治了我们的历史研究,因此,一个真实而且正确的历史观乃是非常必要的.本文认为:马克思主义的历史观即"唯物史观",不仅可以质疑而且可以批评.但是,这种质疑和批评必须是建立在理解乃至超越的基础之上的,否则,所有相关的讨论也就可能只是在前马克思的水平之下进行的.     

In search of negativism: Phenomenology and historical geography

The paper aims to investigate the nature and origin of the “phenomenological movement” in historical geography, by comparing and contrasting the fundamental principles of phenomenology as philosophy on the one hand, and the character of the so-called behavioural and perceptual approaches to historical reconstruction on the other. Questions are raised as to the methodological purity of the particular strand of non-positivist ideology which has entered into the annals of geographical literature; and, finally, the adoption of behavioural explanatory modes in historical geography is seen as a pragmatic response to substantive problems rather than a conscious or even strategic change in underlying philosophy.