The Political Orientation of Modern Chinese Historical Research in the 20th Century
Features of this Book
As a vital sub-discipline of Chinese historiography, the study of modern Chinese history has inherited the tradition of traditional Chinese historiography of "serving politics." From its very inception, it has not been merely a pure historical science; rather, it has been deeply influenced and constrained by the prevailing Chinese political context. The dominant research in modern Chinese history has been integrated into the mainstream ideology of the time, serving as a tool to provide historical justification for the ruling legitimacy of the period. Based on an extensive collection of primary historical materials, this book examines the political orientation of 20th-century studies in modern Chinese history through the lens of the relationship between scholarship and politics, employing a methodology that combines macro-level surveys with case studies and textual analysis. Through a historical investigation into the academic politics surrounding the formation and development of the disciplinary system of 20th-century modern Chinese history, the book summarizes the experiences and lessons regarding the relationship between the study of modern history and the development of modern Chinese politics. It aims to provide historical references for correctly handling the relationship between the study of modern Chinese history and Chinese politics in the 21st century, thereby promoting the disciplinary development of the field.
Content Summary
Guided by the Marxist historical materialism [1], and based on an extensive collection of academic materials, this book examines the political orientation of 20th-century modern Chinese history research from the perspective of the relationship between scholarship and politics. It outlines the history of how 20th-century modern Chinese politics drove the emergence, development, and maturation of the discipline of modern Chinese history. The book provides a detailed analysis of the political orientations of representative figures across various discourses during the discipline's development, as well as the modern history treatises that reflect these orientations.
By conducting a socio-political history investigation into the formation and development of the disciplinary system of 20th-century modern Chinese history, the book synthesizes the experiences and lessons of the intersection between historical research and political development. It seeks to provide a historical reference for the proper management of the relationship between historical research and politics, offering significant insight for the construction of a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system [2] of modern Chinese history guided by Marxism in the 21st century.
Successive generations of leaders of the Communist Party of China have placed great importance on the study and research of modern Chinese history, viewing it as a crucial means of ideological and political work. One’s understanding of modern Chinese history is inextricably linked to the future developmental trajectory of Chinese society. The research presented in this book helps the study of modern Chinese history better fulfill its role in providing theoretical guidance and historical reference for China's socialist modernization.
About the Author
Gong Yun: Born in September 1971, holds a Doctorate in History. He is the Executive Deputy Director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Deputy Director of the CASS Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Deputy Director of the World Socialism Research Center, and a Senior Research Fellow. He also serves as a Director of the National Society of the History of the People's Republic of China, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Atheism Society, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Society for Taiping Heavenly Kingdom [3] Studies, and a Chief Expert for major projects under the National Marxism Theory Research and Construction Project (Marxist Project [4]). He has long been engaged in research on the theory and practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, publishing six independent monographs and nearly a hundred academic papers in journals and newspapers such as Guangming Daily, Chinese Social Sciences Today, Qiushi, Party Building Research, Marxist Studies, Social Sciences in Chinese Higher Education, Red Flag Reports, and Guide to Ideological and Theoretical Education. His co-authored work, Intellectual History of 30 Years of Reform and Opening-up, won the Third Prize for Outstanding Research Achievement from CASS. His co-authored work, The China Road, was selected for the national "Three One-Hundred Original Book Project" in 2013. He has received a Second Prize for major research projects from the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, and has won numerous CASS awards for information policy reports, including one Special Prize, three First Prizes, three Second Prizes, and five Third Prizes. He has frequently undertaken research projects commissioned by central departments such as the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the State Council Information Office, and the Ministry of Finance. His internal reports [5] have received written instructions [6] from General Secretary Xi Jinping three times, from members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee four times, and from a State Councilor once.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Political Prerequisites and Scholarly Origins of the Emergence of the Discipline of Modern Chinese History 20 Section 1: Political Prerequisites for the Emergence of the Discipline of Modern Chinese History 21 Section 2: Scholarly Origins of the Emergence of the Discipline of Modern Chinese History 30 Chapter 2: Chinese Politics and the Germination of Modern Chinese History Research from the Early 20th Century to the Early 1930s 40 Section 1: Chinese Politics from the Early 20th Century to the Early 1930s 40 Section 2: The Germination of Modern Chinese History Research 45 Chapter 3: Chinese Politics and the Rise of Modern Chinese History Research in the 1930s–1940s 50 Section 1: Chinese Politics in the 1930s–1940s 51 Section 2: The Rise of Modern Chinese History Research 60 Chapter 4: Chinese Politics and the Development of Modern Chinese History Research from the 1950s to the Early 1960s 175 Section 1: Chinese Politics from the 1950s to the Early 1960s 175 Section 2: The Development of the Discipline of Modern Chinese History in the 1950s–1960s 185 Chapter 5: Chinese Politics and the Prosperity of Modern Chinese History Research from the Late 1970s to the End of the Century 232 Section 1: Chinese Politics from the Late 1970s to the End of the Century 233 Section 2: The Perfection of the Disciplinary System of Modern Chinese History 237 Section 3: Contentions in the Exploration of a New Disciplinary System for Modern Chinese History 269 Section 4: Deviations in the Exploration of a New Disciplinary System for Modern Chinese History—Taking Farewell to Revolution: Looking Back at 20th-Century China [7] as an Example 310 Section 5: The Intervention of the Modernization Perspective in Modern Chinese History Research—Taking Examinations in Comparison: Research on China's Early Modernization as an Example 324 Conclusion 348 Bibliography 362 Afterword 369 Web Editor: Xinran