崔述的史考与史识

清代乾嘉时期的史家崔述对先秦历史疑古辨伪,求实考信,不但澄清许多古书记载的谬误和古史传说的疑团,而且表现出深刻的考史理念与考史见识。其“不以传注杂于经,不以诸子百家杂于经传”的考史理念,表现为以经证史则去古未远的考史原则;强调“不应后人所知,乃反详于古人”的考史理念,表现为对古史传说循流溯源祛疑解惑的考史方法;反对“凡说上古者,皆以后世例之”的考史理念,表现为朴素历史主义的考史学风。他的这一系列考史理念和考史见识,对中国古代历史考证学理论与方法论的丰富和发展做出了重大贡献。     

敦煌俗赋《丑妇赋》字词校读

《丑妇赋》中"足律"当读为"崒嵂",山高貌;"馋苑"当读为"馋",意谓贪吃;"耽眠嗜睡"之"耽"为"躭",当属上读,"眠嗜睡"依原卷本当校读为"眼暙嗜",意谓眼睛大喜眨眼;"爱父增薪"当校读为"忧釜憎薪",意谓不愿从事炊薪之事;"犊速"当读为"速独","速独"即"",指缺前雍的胡履;"屈焠"读为"臎",指屁股。     

“三不朽”是什么

正"三不朽"是我国伦理思想史上的一道命题。春秋时鲁国大夫叔孙豹称"立德"、"立功"、"立言"为"三不朽"。"立德",即树立道德;"立功",即为国为民建立功绩;"立言",即提出具有真知灼见的言论。出自《左传·襄公二十四年》"豹闻之,‘太上有立德,其次有立功,其次有立言’,虽久不废,此之谓三不朽。"     

从《十七史商榷》看王鸣盛品评历史人物的特点

清代乾嘉考据学家王鸣盛的考史著作《十七史商榷》虽以考史为主,但其中也穿插一些史论内容。或先考证史实,然后对其议论;或直接议论历史人物和评论历史事迹;或以述代论,因此构成了《十七史商榷》“史”、“论”兼俱的特色。其中,评骘各家书法义例和品评历史人物是其重点。本文拟对王鸣盛品评历史人物的特点作一论述,以求教于方家。     

蒙文通的治史方法简析

蒙文通"以治诸子之法治史",用哲学方法求史料的思想意义;"观史如观澜",审历史大势以求通变;"事不孤起,必有其邻",强调历史整体性关联,也注重断代史、专门史与通史的深入互动;从"制度与文化"的因革来探索历史的变化之迹,以期对社会经济领域诸多新现象进行重构解释;比较中外历史的差异,以认识中国历史的特性。蒙文通综合运用上述治史方法,以求历史研究探源明变,融会贯通。     

梁漱溟家族 儒者风骨

"至大",就是廓然大公,无我;"至刚",就是没有任何东西能左右我的言行,在是非问题上,没有交易可言。梁漱溟认为,人就应该这样     

关于“不兰奚”的蒙古文对应形式buralqi及其相关问题

<正>"不阑奚"又作"孛阑奚",同为中世纪蒙古语一个词的汉字音译。其对音词在蒙古文里的具体形式是什么,以往学者们只能利用蒙古语文历史知识和外籍文献记载做出自己的解释,但因为这些分析不是建立在可靠材料的基础之上,所以拟出的意见     

如何纪念孙中山

<正>"可以将中山装改造成公务员制服",某省某官员在纪念孙中山先生的座谈会上建议。如今提倡改革精神,于是有些人便崇尚"一鸣惊人",大有"语不惊人死不休"的劲头。     

漫谈摄影画面点线面的表现方法(三)

<正>"面"的表现方法"面",在我们这里指的是视觉空间面积,它具有区域性、简洁性和环境感。视觉艺术定义上的"面",不仅仅是画纸、画布等承载形象的平面物质,而是承载各种物象的空间。就摄影艺术而言,只要能够将被     

改革的可持续性决定执政的可持续性

<正>"春晚越来越像两会,两会越来越像春晚",看完春晚看两会,在中国几乎成了一年一度的大众娱乐。一选举法修改:尚未兑现建国承诺     

Experimental history: the appeal of postmodemism in historiography

Use, truth and time constitute the basic elements of the epistemological structure of history. That structure went through three stages: pre-modern (from ancient times to the late eighteenth century, before the professionalization of history took place), modern (the period of professional history, from the late eighteenth century to the 1970s), and post modern (post 1970s). In these three stages, use, truth, and time successively occupied the core of the epistemological structure of history. Postmodernist history, which puts time at the core of its epistemology, is an extreme form of historicism. Even more than historicism, it has emphasized the determining effect of time and change on historical truth and historical consciousness. The privatization of historical narrative and reading has prodded history to become experimental. Experimental history no longer proclaims the truth about the past. Instead, under specific historical circumstances, it strives to produce texts that will be recognized by individual historians and provides these texts to readers, who will make their own judgments. Whether these texts are true will be decided through the uses they produce. In this way, any historiographical practice will be an experiment conducted by an historian in the present and that will consist in searching for the truth about the past. The success of this experiment will depend entirely on the experimental environment, that is, on the conditions provided by the reading environment. __________ Translated from: Beijing Shifan Daxue Xuebao 北京师范大学学报 (Journal of Beijing Normal University), Vol. 5, 2004     

Experimental history: the appeal of postmodernism in historiography

Use, truth and time constitute the basic elements of the epistemological structure of history. That structure went through three stages: pre-modern (from ancient times to the late eighteenth century, before the professionalization of history took place), modern (the period of professional history, from the late eighteenth century to the 1970s), and post modern (post 1970s). In these three stages, use, truth, and time successively occupied the core of the epistemological structure of history. Postmodernist history, which puts time at the core of its epistemology, is an extreme form of historicism. Even more than historicism, it has emphasized the determining effect of time and change on historical truth and historical consciousness. The privatization of historical narrative and reading has prodded history to become experimental. Experimental history no longer proclaims the truth about the past. Instead, under specific historical circumstances, it strives to produce texts that will be recognized by individual historians and provides these texts to readers, who will make their own judgments. Whether these texts are true will be decided through the uses they produce. In this way, any historiographical practice will be an experiment conducted by an historian in the present and that will consist in searching for the truth about the past. The success of this experiment will depend entirely on the experimental environment, that is, on the conditions provided by the reading environment.     

当代中国史研究中的文献史料问题

当代中国史研究需要搜集、整理、考证和利用文献史料。搜集史料要求“全”,整理史料要求“实”,考证史料要求“真”,利用史料要求“准”,这些直接关系到所出研究成果的科学水平和学术质量。当代中国史文献史料类型多种,既包括有关的文件和档案、文集和文稿、报纸和新闻稿、定期刊物、纪实和回忆、资料汇编,又涉及地方史志、史学史料、国外资料、批判研究资料。就此文献史料进行马克思主义的历史考察和具体分析,可加深对其真实性、政治性和现实性的认识。建国后,学术界十分重视当代中国史文献史料工作:搜集相当广泛,整理比较系统,考证多有创新,利用成效显著。倘能对此丰富实践继续给予理论上的总结,无论对于当代中国史文献史料学的学科建设,乃至当代中国史研究的深入和发展,都具有一定的理论意义和实践价值。     

Postmodernist Histories

ABSTRACT

Since 1829, it has been the received and accepted scholarly opinion that Jonathan Edwards did not read the writings of George Berkeley and thus was not influenced thereby in the development of his own Idealism. This essay contends otherwise. With new evidence available, it is shown to be highly probable that Edwards has a historical as well as conceptual connection to the Idealism of Berkeley. A historical connection is argued for by utilizing Edwards’s “Catalogue” to establish a timeline that illustrates when he penned his own Idealist writings in connection to when he read Berkeley. A conceptual connection is argued for by focusing upon both several idiosyncratic Berkeleyisms of style and two Berkeleyan theses also found in Edwards’s writings. Finally, the conceptual connection between the two are strengthened, after demonstrating how Berkeleyan Idealism singularly differs from other prominent Early Modern Idealisms. By examining what Edwards read, how he wrote, and how he thought, a reasonable case is set forth for affirming a historical and conceptual connection between Edwards and Berkeley. Thus, after two centuries of dispute, there is finally justified merit for labeling Edwards as a Berkeleyan Idealist.     

Chinese Social History: Forty Years of Research under the Chinese Economic Reform

In the wake of the Chinese economic reform, Chinese scholars have welcomed in the resurgence of historical social research. Looking back over the past 30-odd years of research development, it could be said there existed four general periods: A brainstorm period, an initial “beginning” period, a period of maturation and lastly an expansion period. From looking at the context of [its] theoretical development, it is clear that scholars researching Chinese social history were, from the beginning, focused on how exactly to define “society.” This, however, resulted in much debate about the different concepts of social history itself. Though the matter has yet to be settled, the ultimate research objective for the field of historical social research is in its pursuit of truth. In recent years following the dissolution of disciplinary boundaries, the interdisciplinary viewpoint(s) established by social and cultural history have also provided forth a new horizon for the development of Chinese historical social research.     

Derrida and fidelity to history

In the first part of this paper Hugh Rayment-Pickard challenges Mark Bevir's assumption that Derrida does not care about historical or other kinds of truth. A consideration of Derrida's early work on Husserl shows deconstruction to be a kind of skepsis or epoche launched in search of the truth. Yet deconstruction reveals the truth as ‘undecidable’, which means that Derrida's commitment to the truth must take the form of ‘faith’. The second part of the paper considers an example of definite intentional meaning given in Mark Bevir's Logic: Petrarch's ascent of Mont Ventoux. On examination, Petrach's motivation can be seen to be radically divided between secular and religious concerns, a split vividly illustrated in his imaginary dialogue with St Augustine: The Secret. Finally, Rayment-Pickard looks briefly at Derrida's own dialogue with St Augustine, ‘Circumfession’, which also argues that human intentions are irreducibly complex and plural.     

Derrida and fidelity to history

In the first part of this paper Hugh Rayment-Pickard challenges Mark Bevir's assumption that Derrida does not care about historical or other kinds of truth. A consideration of Derrida's early work on Husserl shows deconstruction to be a kind of skepsis or epoche launched in search of the truth. Yet deconstruction reveals the truth as ‘undecidable’, which means that Derrida's commitment to the truth must take the form of ‘faith’. The second part of the paper considers an example of definite intentional meaning given in Mark Bevir's Logic: Petrarch's ascent of Mont Ventoux. On examination, Petrach's motivation can be seen to be radically divided between secular and religious concerns, a split vividly illustrated in his imaginary dialogue with St Augustine: The Secret. Finally, Rayment-Pickard looks briefly at Derrida's own dialogue with St Augustine, ‘Circumfession’, which also argues that human intentions are irreducibly complex and plural.     

1. PRETEXTURES OF TIME

Textures of Time is a rich and challenging book that raises a host of important and hard questions about historical narrative, form, and style; the sociology of texts; and the core problem of ascertaining historical truth. Two that pertain to the book's main claims are of special interest to nonspecialist readers: Is register or style—“texture”—necessarily and everywhere diagnostic of “history”? Does a new kind of “historical consciousness” emerge in south India beginning in the sixteenth century, indeed as a sign of an Indian early modernity?Textures is not the first book to argue that historical discourse is constitutively marked by a peculiar style, but the claim is beset by difficulties that scholars since Barthes have detailed. Rather than textures of time—accounts of what really happened in history—what these works offer us may be only pretextures of time, textualized forms of a human experience that make claims about its degrees and types of truth through representations of various states of temporality. Instead of assessing, then, whether these works are history or something else like “myth,” we might ask whether they invite us to transcend this very dichotomy, to try, that is, to make sense of historical forms of consciousness rather than to identify forms of historical consciousness. As for modernity, nothing in south Indian historiography from 1500–1800 remotely compares to the conceptual revolution of Europe. But why should we expect the newness of the early modern world to have been experienced the same way everywhere? Modernity across Asia may have shown simultaneity without symmetry. Should this asymmetry turn out to reveal continuity and not rupture, however, no need to lament the fact. There is no shame in premodernity.     

At the origins of a tenacious narrative: Jacob Thomasius and the history of double truth

ABSTRACT

This article enquires into the origins of the historiographical notion of double truth, a prominent and controversial category in the modern study of medieval philosophy. I believe that these origins are to be found in a short text by Jacob Thomasius from 1663, entitled De duplici & contradictoria veritate, which stands as a very early and highly original example of a history of double truth. I propose a detailed analysis of this document in order to shed light on the mechanisms that transformed duplex veritas from a keyword in Thomasius’s Protestant milieu into a historiographical category. As I show, the De duplici & contradictoria veritate provides a historical legitimation of Thomasius’s own brand of Lutheran Aristotelianism. It does so in a highly ambiguous fashion, namely by bringing together the Lutheran theologian and proponent of double truth Daniel Hofmann with anonymous medieval “Averroists”. I venture an explanation for Thomasius’s line of action by uncovering two of his implicit sources.     

REPRESENTATION AS A COGNITIVE INSTRUMENT

This essay discusses the role of the notions of reference, truth, and meaning in historical representation. Four major claims will be argued. First, conditional for all meaningful discussion of historical representation is that one radically discards from one's mind the paradigm of the true statement and all the epistemological and ontological problems occasioned by it. Second, representation is not a two‐place, but a three‐place operator: in representation a represented reality (1) is represented by a representation (2) focusing on certain aspects of represented reality (3). Third, applying the notions of reference, truth, and meaning to historical representations compels us to give them a content basically different from the ones they have in contemporary philosophy of language and science. Fourth, it will be shown that in (historical) representation, meaning precedes truth—and not the other way around as in most of contemporary philosophy of language.