后现代主义与历史学

后现代主义带给历史学的挑战首先反映在史学理论的层面.它反对传统“历史真实“的概念,认为“客观存在的“只能是一种理论假设,检验历史真实的标准只能是个人在实际生活中的政治和伦理要求.福柯和德里达的后现代主义思想深刻地影响了历史学家.传统史学在后现代主义的冲击之下,产生了微观史学、日常生活史学、环境史学、新文化史等等历史研究新视角,同时就不同学科共同关心的主题,促成了历史学与社会学、文学、政治学等学科的跨学科研究.这些研究有助于人们从多方面、多角度理解自己身处的社会,进而认识到现实生活的复杂性、矛盾性,以及不同要素彼此之间的紧密关联.

Postmodernism and Historiography

The challenges of postmodernism to history are reflected first on the level of historical theories.Objecting to the traditional concept of "historical truth",postmodernists think that "objective existence" is only a kind of theoretical hypothesis and that the criteria to judge history truth could only be the political and moral request of individuals in real life.The postmodernist thought of Foucault and Derrida has deeply influenced historians.Under the impact of postmodernism,new research angles,such as micro-history,everyday life history,environmental history and new cultural history,appeared in traditional history.At the same time,in terms of the themes shared by different subjects, postmodernism promotes the interdisciplinary research of history,sociology,literature and political science.Such research helps us to understand our society from different aspects and angles,hence makes us realize the complexity and contradictories in our daily life as well as the close connections between various elements.