History, Confucianism, and Thought: Reflections on Ancient Chinese Historical Culture in a Global Context

Author: Liu Jiahe / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The world today is indeed a connected one, and its interconnectedness is undoubtedly due to the increasing multifaceted ties between countries. Why has this phenomenon of growing and deepening connections occurred? It is because there are more and more common interests at play, and because there is a growing convergence in the times. To understand this convergence, we cannot avoid comparative research.
At the same time, in this world that has become integrated in many aspects, has there been no difference? The differences between the East and the West, between the South and the North, still exist clearly. Without understanding these differences, one cannot grasp how this world is realistically structured, nor can one understand the true background and essence of the various interests in it. Therefore, to understand this integrated world, in addition to its similarities, one must also understand its differences; and to understand these differences, one must again conduct comparative research. Without this, one cannot grasp the developmental trends of this world.
The above has discussed the necessity of comparative research for the study of historical world history. Now, let us discuss from another level or a more fundamental level the reasons why this necessity arises. Regardless of whether we are talking about ancient or modern times, the vertical trend of historical development is always driven and constrained by the horizontal relationships between different groups within human societies of each period. To understand the development of relationships between different groups in a given period, one must understand the similarities and differences between them; and to analyze these similarities and differences, one cannot do without comparative research. Thus, the importance of comparative research is rooted in the fact that these horizontal relationships drive and constrain the vertical trend of historical development.
The second point to discuss is that we know that there is probably no book called "World History" that can truly encompass the history of all countries and nations on Earth. To explain the reason for this phenomenon, we must answer the following two questions. The first question that needs to be addressed is whether an all-encompassing "World History" is actually possible. This question seems relatively easy to answer, and the answer is "impossible." There are two reasons for this: On one hand, not all countries and nations have their own historical records. For those without historical records, it is naturally impossible to write their history. For historians, this can be said to be an objective impossibility. On the other hand, if one were to require that the histories of all possible countries and nations be included in a "World History" and written clearly, the length of such a book would be enormous, making it practically unfeasible. If each country and nation were only given a brief section, it would become a jumble of unrelated topics, losing its value and also being unfeasible. For historians, this can be said to be a subjective impossibility.
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