Transformation and Trends - Humanities Edition

Author: Huang Changzhu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Four years ago, to better meet the needs of readers interested in the dynamics of foreign humanities and social sciences research, we systematically screened a large number of articles that had been scattered across various issues of Social Sciences Abroad. From these, we selected a group of outstanding works and compiled them into thematic volumes. This led to the later three-volume series that readers now see: Rewriting Modernity—Contemporary Western Academic Discourse, Conflict and Deconstruction—Contemporary Western Academic Narrative, and Transformation and Trends—Contemporary Western Academic Mainstream. After its release, the series was well-received and highly praised by readers, which was unexpected for us. Naturally, this gave us the motivation to continue this work.
Most authors of Social Sciences Abroad are scholars from central and local social science academies, universities, and other research institutions engaged in humanities and social sciences research. Among them are many outstanding scholars with deep expertise. Many articles published in Social Sciences Abroad, as a core journal in the field of social sciences, have also been well-liked by readers. These articles, in various ways, touch on recent research progress and trends in foreign humanities and social sciences, providing readers with a wealth of relevant information. This research progress, trends, and information are not only useful for scholars specializing in foreign humanities and social sciences and international studies but also serve as references for researchers in various disciplines of Chinese humanities and social sciences. In particular, some research methods, approaches, and perspectives of foreign humanities and social sciences scholars are valuable for their Chinese counterparts, while certain knowledge is essential for all humanities and social sciences professionals.
The humanities and social sciences in the 20th century had several key characteristics: institutionalization, specialization, integration, and internationalization. Specialization and integration seem contradictory, but they are not. Since the emergence of humanities and social sciences, the trend of disciplinary differentiation has never ceased, yet integration and interdisciplinary research have shown even stronger momentum. This trend has become particularly evident since the second half of the 20th century. The reason may be related to the complexity of contemporary society, as addressing complex social issues, conflicts, and contradictions requires the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines.
Furthermore, the internationalization of humanities and social sciences—or what is now termed globalization—is a major development trend. This is a direct result of increased international exchanges, the growing commonality and universality of global challenges, and the rapid advancement of transportation and communication technologies, especially the advent of the internet.
In our current selection process, we followed this approach. The overall title remains Contemporary Western Academic Trends Series. We did not change "Western" to "foreign" in the title for two reasons: first, articles on Western academic trends indeed constitute the majority; second, to maintain consistency and continuity with the earlier series published four years ago. The series remains in three volumes, with titles as follows: Transformation and Trends—Humanities, Integration and Expansion—Social Sciences, and Intersection and Synthesis—Interdisciplinary Studies. The three volumes include over 90 articles, reviews, commentaries, and translations published between 2000 and 2003, totaling over 3 million words per volume, with the entire series numbering slightly more than 10 million words. These articles generally reflect the overall trends of contemporary foreign humanities and social sciences, though they also cover some of the hot issues of the day, such as the ongoing global debate on globalization, terrorism and counterterrorism, cultural issues, foreign studies on China, and important topics in fields like political science and economics.
We have tried to organize the selections according to the content of each volume to ensure greater coherence, but due to our limitations and the inherent overlaps in some articles, the divisions may not always be perfect. Additionally, since the articles cover a wide range of disciplines and were published over different periods in Social Sciences Abroad, with varying writing styles and focuses, even when compiled together, they cannot achieve the same level of systematic rigor as a dedicated book. We hope readers will understand this. However, I firmly believe that it is precisely this diversity that may enhance readability and appeal.
"Different wines offer intoxication; diverse grains provide satiety" (Lunheng). If our series can achieve this, then the efforts of the editors will not have been in vain, and we can find some solace in that.
Colleagues at the publishing house and editorial office asked me to write a preface for the series, but there isn’t much new to say. These words serve as the preface.
Against the backdrop of the great transformation in humanities and social sciences theory, the evolution of contemporary Western humanities and the development of social sciences have proceeded in tandem. Since the 1950s, the major trend in Western humanities has been the alternation of differentiation and integration. Due to breakthroughs in disciplinary methodologies and other factors, numerous interdisciplinary (or newly emerging) fields have gradually detached from traditional humanities, forming their own specialized domains. This demonstrates that differentiation is an inevitable trend in the development of Western humanities. Similarly, the trend of integration is also evident in the development of humanities, as seen in the emergence of many comprehensive issues, such as globalization, sustainable development, and peace and development.
It is worth noting that in the closing years of the 20th century and the early 21st century, the trend of differentiation seemed to dominate. Over the course of half a century, Western humanities developed two distinct characteristics. First, the interpenetration of humanities and social sciences. The cutting-edge issues of humanities have merged with social sciences, giving rise to new disciplines. Compared to other forms of integration (such as internal integration within humanities or the fusion of humanities and natural sciences), this interpenetration appears more profound. Second, the return of the humanities tradition. This period emphasized the study of human nature, empirical research, and interactive research—all of which were key features of humanities research.
There is no doubt that readers can understand all of this in this book.