历史等于历史学:海登·怀特治史主旨简述

作为名闻遐迩的当代史学思想家,海登·怀特在最近二十年来已经引起了史学界许多人的注意,中文学界也不例外,但现有的著作比较侧重分析他的论著,特别是《元史学:19世纪欧洲的历史想象》的内容及其影响。其实,怀特的治史路径有着几个明显的转折——怀特并不是一开始就想成为一个史学理论家,而是想成为一个"正宗"的史学家,但他自学生时代起,又受到老师威廉·博森布洛克的影响,寻求一个经世致用的理想。他的这一追求称得上一以贯之、始终不渝。怀特从语言学的角度探讨史学理论,通过历史书写中"叙述"的功用,写作包括《元史学:19世纪欧洲的历史想象》在内的许多论著,为的是实践这一理想,让历史研究与社会现实形成积极的互动。而到了晚年,怀特又探讨超越"叙述"的新路径,以求历史学展现"实用的过去"。怀特的思想遗产既在于他所提出的理论,亦在于他在革新历史学性质、观念和方法上所做的不懈努力。

History Equals Historiography: A Brief Summary of Hayden White’s Historiography Theme

As a famous contemporary historical thinker,Hayden White has attracted the attention of many people in the field of history in the past two decades,and the field of Chinese literature is no exception.However,the existing works focus more on the analysis of his works,especially the content and influence of Metahistory:Historical Imagination in Nineteenth-Century Europe.In fact,White’s career to learn history has several obvious turning points:White didn’t want to be a historical theorist in the beginning,but wanted to be an authentic historian.Since he was a student,he had been influenced to pursue a practical ideal by his teacher,William Bosenbrock.His pursuit is consistent and unswerving.White explored the theory of history from the perspective of linguistics.Through the function of narrative in historical writing,with the purpose of putting this ideal into practice and making historical research interact with social reality positively,he wrote many works,including Metahistory:Historical Imagination in Nineteenth-Century Europe.In his later years,White explored new ways beyond"narrative"in order to show the"practical past"in history.White’s intellectual heritage lies in both his theories and his tireless efforts to reform the nature,ideas,and methods of historiography.