1 is a professional academic journal sponsored by China Academy of Social Sciences, which was founded in February, 1954. Mao Zedong put forward the policy of "a hundred schools of thought contend" for the journal; Guo Moruo directly led the establishment of the editorial board and editorial department, and wrote a preface. Members of the first editorial board include Guo Moruo, Bai Shouyi, Xiang Da, Lv Zhenyu, Du, Wu, Ji Xianlin, Hou Wailu, Hu Sheng, Chen Yuan, Chen Yinque, Xia Nai, Ji, Tang Yongtong, Liu Danian and Jian Bozan. Successive editors are Yin Da, Li Shu, Pang Pu and Xu Zongmian. The current editors are Tian Jujian and deputy editor Ruan. Bimonthly 1979.
Historical Research mainly publishes high-level academic papers in the field of historiography, including Ancient History of China, Modern History of China, World History, Theory and Methodology of Historiography, History of Historiography, etc. It comments and publishes important historical documents, historical materials and their research, textual research and introduction, and has columns such as reading notes and historical materials. The journal advocates studying history with scientific viewpoints and methods, exploring the law of historical development, analyzing and evaluating historical figures and events; We advocate seeking truth from facts, expressing our opinions, discussing some major issues in historical research, and promoting the development and prosperity of history.
Historical research enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad, and the editorial department has established close ties with some famous scholars and academic groups in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the United States, Japan and other countries. Many excellent papers have been translated by China Social Sciences (English version) and introduced abroad.
Over the past half century, about 4,000 articles have been published in historical research, representing and reflecting the achievements of several generations of historians in New China. The author, from Guo Moruo and other famous historians in the middle of the 20th century to emerging academic rookies in the new century, reflects the highest level and evolution direction of China's historical research and development in the past 50 years. Therefore, in terms of the significance of the development and evolution of academic history, 50 years of historical research is the epitome of the development of new China historiography.
2. Historical research
Arnold toynbee, a famous British historian, and his masterpiece Historical Research have always been familiar and respected by professional researchers and history lovers. However, the historical research of 12 volume is voluminous, which often makes many fans flinch. During his lifetime, Toynbee rewrote this masterpiece according to the latest progress and research results of historiography at that time, and compressed it into a book, which was published by Time Hudson Company with the number 1972. Recently, Shanghai People's Publishing House translated and published this world famous book according to its reprint 1995.
In this book, Toynbee takes civilization as the research unit and looks at human history from a grand perspective. Toynbee analyzed and summarized at least 3 1 known civilizations, and described the origin, growth, decline and disintegration of civilizations. At the same time, the establishment of a unified country and a unified church has also entered the author's vision; On this basis, Toynbee also extensively investigated the collision, contact and integration of civilizations in time and space in the long river of history. Toynbee's famous challenge-response model runs through the book and is well reflected. Why study history as a whole? Toynbee thinks this is a "realistic need". Due to the rapid progress of technology, human beings have gradually eliminated the distance in space, but this has not brought human beings a harmonious state of "one family under the world". Toynbee lived (1889- 1975) through two worst world wars in human history. He not only saw the great destruction of human civilization caused by war, but also deeply felt that the tension, anxiety, depression and violence brought by human cannibalism were pushing mankind to the dangerous situation of self-destruction. "To do this, we must know each other, which means we need to know each other's history gradually, because human beings don't just live in front of us." It is out of this deep concern and infinite hope for human civilization that Toynbee, with a "curiosity" and a profound humanitarian spirit, left this spiritual wealth for our time and future generations with his outstanding wisdom and tireless enthusiasm.
In addition, Toynbee not only examined human history from the vertical level of time, but also maintained a "fair and balanced global view" on the horizontal level of the geographical distribution of various civilizations. Toynbee pointed out: "We must abandon our illusions about a particular country, civilization and religion, because it happens to belong to us, take it as the center and think it is superior to other civilizations." This broad view of history and civilization is naturally different from those narrow prejudices that regard the whole human history as only western history. Indeed, with the archaeological discovery, the history of sub-Saharan Africa reappears, so that the civilizations in these places can be "juxtaposed with those in other places". In addition, the social and economic history of East Asia in different periods, especially China civilization, has also become one of Toynbee's focuses. In his later years, Toynbee placed deep expectations on China's future: China might consciously integrate western thoughts with traditional culture. If this proper integration is successful, the result may provide a brand-new cultural starting point for civilized human beings.
The macro narrative technique of "great history" adopted by Toynbee in Historical Research is a response to the increasingly detailed division of labor in the field of historiography developed with the industrialization process in the 20th century. In the first chapter of this book, "Relativity of Historical Thought", Toynbee concentrated on such a view: "Historical thought is deeply influenced by the ruling system in the social environment where thinkers live." Because of the different environment of civilization, it is futile to try to find a unified outline of human history in piles of historical documents.
Compared with the 12-volume edition and D·C· Somerville's Excerpts (Shanghai People's Publishing House has published three Chinese versions), the volume of Historical Research (revised illustrated edition) published by Shanghai People's Publishing House is of course much smaller and easier to read, which greatly facilitates readers. In addition, although it is also an excerpt, unlike Somerville's version, this version was not only revised by Toynbee himself, but also retained most historical examples and more details to support his views. It is particularly worth mentioning that this 16 folio book is an illustrated book with more than 400 black and white text maps, maps, charts and 90 color pictures. Exquisite color pictures, rich string pictures, maps and charts, plus just the right detailed description, give this book new content and form. As Toynbee said: "Pictures not only enhance the effect of words, but also convey a lot of information that words can't fully express."
Reading historical research, while admiring Toynbee's profound knowledge and wonderful analysis, we can wander in the fascinating historical ocean, not only absorbing knowledge, enriching ideas, but also fully obtaining the happiness brought by thinking.
3 "historical research" trend analysis
Analysis of the direction and trend of historical research;
Historical Research, published bimonthly on June 55438+05, format 16, each issue 192 pages, about 300,000 words, published by China Social Sciences Journal. The unit in charge is China Academy of Social Sciences, and the organizer is China Social Sciences, which is in charge of the editorial department of Historical Research. This magazine has a long history. Established in 1954. It is the earliest comprehensive historical journal published after the founding of New China. The principle of running a journal is "a hundred schools of thought contend, seeking truth from facts" and "persisting in studying China and world history from the perspective of Marxism".
In order to have a deeper understanding of China's historiography in the 20th century, at the turn of the century, almost every issue of historical research will invite an expert in the research field. Review and reflect on the ups and downs in this field in the past 100 years, and make predictions and prospects for the future war of resistance. These articles are the best summary of China's historiography in the 20th century.
As for the connection with current events, when some important anniversaries or major events occur, papers will be produced at twice the speed. For example: 1997 set up a special topic on Hong Kong history research; 1999 set up a special topic on Macao studies; 0 1 "Boxer Rebellion100th Anniversary" topic.
We also pay attention to some hot issues and historical trends, such as 0 1 No.4 Study on Wu Bamboo Slips in Zoumalou, and 2000 Confession of Young Heavenly Kings and Dry Kings of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom did not publish New Historical Materials and Dialectics.
From the catalogue of 10 years, it can be seen that in recent years, population issues, foreign relations and the introduction of overseas China studies have become hot spots, and ecological history and other fields have also begun to expand, which shows that the scope of historical research is expanding and interdisciplinary research is becoming a trend.
Finally, the journal has many shortcomings: first, comprehensiveness overwhelms concreteness, resulting in insufficient special research; Secondly, it is not closely related to the latest foreign historical trends, and the proportion of China history is too large, resulting in a small proportion of articles included in the field of world history research; Thirdly, although the journal is one of the best in the history field, the academic level of the papers is uneven, and some can even be said to be inferior; Finally, there are almost no articles in the study of some restricted areas in the history circle.