论社会史的整体性

什么是社会史的整体性？言人人殊.但一个明显的趋向是,社会史总是围绕着完善“历史的结构”书写而展开.与传统史学对历史要素的制度性理解不同,社会史更重视个体意义上的日常生活要素,并以此为中心确定社会结构的边界及其核心要素.在社会边界内尽可能多地充实相关日常要素,使历史趋于全面化,成为整体性的第一重要义；在地方世界中(典型的如共同体)更方便地体现诸多日常要素之间的深层结构性联系,使历史趋于具象化,成为整体性的第二重要义；在人物、事件和时空等历史维度内部和之间更明显地建立起呼应关系,使历史趋于谱系化,成为整体性的第三重要义.以整体性为追求的社会史通过这些方面明显区别于传统史学,亦给未来社会史以“理性的指示”.

On the Integration of Social History

What is meant by the integration of social history? Among the different versions held by different people,there is the noticeable tendency of viewing social history as being developed centering on the perfection of "historical structure" narrative.Different from traditional history characterized by understanding in an institutional sense,social history gives greater emphasis to essential daily life factors in a personal sense,which are seen as the basis in determining the boundary and key factors of social structures.The essential meaning of the primary aspect of the integration lies in enriching the related daily life factors as much as the social boundary permits in order for history to approach comprehensiveness.To better reveal the deep structural connections among various daily life factors in the local society(such as community typically) and to make history more capable of embodiment make up the essence of the second aspect of the integration.To establish more visibly the corresponding connections within and among the history dimensions such as people,events,time and space so as to turn history into a continuum is the key idea of the third aspect.Social history which aims at integration is to be distinctly distinguished from traditional history from all these aspects and is expected to provide rational indication to its own future.