A Comprehensive History of Chinese Historical Thought: Volume on the Ming Dynasty

Author: Wu Huaiqi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: In the Preface of the Yuan Dynasty volume, it is mentioned that the early Ming Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty should be considered as one period. That is to say, although the Ming Dynasty's historical thought is presented as a separate volume, there is a significant difference between the early and late Ming periods. The Ming Dynasty was the declining period of China's feudal society. "When we say it is declining, we do not say it is disintegrating, but rather that it has lost its vigorous vitality, but there is still vitality left, and it is even quite resilient. This characteristic is reflected in historiography on the one hand, as the atmosphere of conservatism prevails, and on the other hand, as excellent works that embody the spirit of protest against the times continue to emerge." It is also this fundamental characteristic that determines the style of historiography during the Ming Dynasty. The historiography of the late Ming Dynasty laid the groundwork for the great advancement of historiographical thought in the late Ming and early Qing periods. The academic and scholarly trends of the Ming Dynasty also had problems, criticized sharply by Gu Yanwu. Overall, compared to other dynasties, Ming Dynasty historiographical thought lacked strength, and its shortcomings were also "superficial." This volume outlines the developmental trends of historiography during the Ming Dynasty, with a focus on elaborating on the enlightenment thought, historical narrative thought, the trend of discarding the and emphasizing the, and the rise and fall, a scene of great diversity.