後現代思潮下中國現代史學的走向

Reflections on Modern Chinese Historiography at the Age of Postmodernism

汪榮祖(Young-Tsu Wong)

《近代史研究所集刊》 56期 (2007/06) Pp. 143-192

https://doi.org/10.6353/BIMHAS.200706.0143

摘要

中國史學與西洋史學一樣源遠流長，卻在西洋史學的啟示與影響之下進入「現代」，並一直追隨西方史學的理論與方法，尤以蘭克的史學方法為依歸。至「復現代」風潮興起，其理論雖然繁多，未有定論，但其基本傾向主要在挑戰、甚至否定「現代」；其理論對現代史學的顛覆性尤其巨大，吾人所知的現代史學幾乎被顛覆殆盡。長隨西方的中國現代史學遇此「巨變」，有如「夢魘」，不僅是西方現代史學「高貴夢想」之破滅，使中國現代史學頓失依據；而且呈現中國現代史學一直未能建立「自主性」的尷尬。不過，後現代風潮雖具破壞性，但從最近的發展看，對欣欣向榮的新文化史研究已有正面的貢獻。中國現代史學自當繼續參照西方的治史理論與方法，但宜建立自主性，而不宜尾隨，大可於借鏡之錄，重新思考中國傳統史學，走出自己的路。

關鍵字

中國現代史學 ； 西洋現代史學 ； 後現代思潮 ； 新文化史

並列摘要

Despite their own long historiographical tradition, Chinese historians by and large entered the modern era and are following the West's lead. Although none of Leopold von Ranke's major works were rendered into Chinese, the German historian's positivistic view of history and methods left undeniably influenced modern Chinese historians, who dutifully cherished archival sources and evidential research. But just as Chinese historians re-oriented themselves and faithfully sought scientific, objective, truthful history, historians in the West started changing course. Objective truth in the Rankian mode was being questioned, and at last ”that noble dream” was broken. Since the 1980s, moreover, the postmodern view of history, which proclaims the end of historical objectivity and empirical research, had turned the world of modern Chinese historiography upside down. A nightmare in effect followed the broken dream.
Modern Chinese historians now face an unavoidable question: whether they should slavishly follow the West’s lead or start thinking of history as a discipline of their own by taking a new look at the long Chinese tradition of historical thought and writing. The tradition of Chinese historiography, having arguably lasted several thousand years, is a distinct cultural legacy, and it deserves reconsideration through the perspective of cultural pluralism. By looking back, however, does not mean to ignore the modern West. Postmodernism, however devastating, seems to have positively inspired many excellent studies in the flourishing field of new cultural history. Reconsideration of traditional Chinese history in reference to theories and methods cherished by new cultural historians may launch modem Chinese historiography on the road toward fruitful research and writing.

並列關鍵字

modern Chinese historiography ； modern Western historiography ； postmodernism ； new cultural history

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