20th-century non-mainstream historiography and historians

Author: Wang Ermin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book primarily discusses and critiques the non-mainstream schools of history and historians outside the major 20th-century historiographical trends. The two mainstream schools of 20th-century historiography are: one is the scientificist historiographical school, with historians Fu Si-nien, Gu Jie-gang, and educator Cai Yuan-p’ei advocating for scientific historical methodology influenced by this scientificist; the other is the Marxist-Leninist historiographical school, with Guo Mo-ruo and Jian Bo-zan being its prominent leaders. Non-mainstream historiographical schools include the National Essence School, the Nan-gao and Xueheng School, the War State Strategy School, Qian Mu’s traditional historiographical school, Chang Chi-yun’s historical geography school, and the Nan’gang School, among others. The author has painstakingly spent five years reviewing one such non-mainstream school—the Nan’gang School—evaluating the academic lineage and achievements of historians such as Chu Yun-yi, Kuo Ting-yi, Sha Xue-jun, Liu Guang-ching, Dai Xuan-zhi, Tang De-gang, Liang Jia-bin, Li Guo-qi, and Lu Bao-qian, documenting the ethos, institutional structure, and academic contributions of the Nan’gang School, and reflecting on 20th-century historiography. This book is a monograph on historiographical history by the Taiwanese scholar Wang Ermin. Reflecting on the century of 20th-century historiography, the author argues that mainstream Chinese historiography is primarily divided into two schools: the scientificist historiographical school and the Marxist-Leninist historiographical school, with no third mainstream school, though there are numerous non-mainstream schools. Currently, few scholars and young students are aware of non-mainstream historiography and historians, which is undoubtedly a serious omission in historiographical history. As the author states, non-mainstream schools are worth attention—in the face of changing times, they should not be entirely forgotten within a century without records, for without records, they would remain unknown. Therefore, the author has written this book to call upon the academic community to pay close attention to the non-mainstream historiography and historians of the 20th century. The publication of this book will undoubtedly encourage readers to discover and examine with great interest these easily forgotten historians and historiographical schools. This book primarily discusses and critiques the non-mainstream schools of history and historians outside the major 20th-century historiographical trends. The two mainstream schools of 20th-century historiography are: one is the scientificist historiographical school, with historians Fu Si-nien, Gu Jie-gang, and educator Cai Yuan-p’ei advocating for scientific historical methodology influenced by this scientificist; the other is the Marxist-Leninist historiographical school, with Guo Mo-ruo and Jian Bo-zan being its prominent leaders. Non-mainstream historiographical schools include the National Essence School, the Nan-gao and Xueheng School, the War State Strategy School, Qian Mu’s traditional historiographical school, Chang Chi-yun’s historical geography school, and the Nan’gang School, among others. The author has painstakingly spent five years reviewing one such non-mainstream school—the Nan’gang School—evaluating the academic lineage and achievements of historians such as Chu Yun-yi, Kuo Ting-yi, Sha Xue-jun, Liu Guang-ching, Dai Xuan-zhi, Tang De-gang, Liang Jia-bin, Li Guo-qi, and Lu Bao-qian, documenting the ethos, institutional structure, and academic contributions of the Nan’gang School, and reflecting on 20th-century historiography.