Strengthen historical research and learning and establish a correct view of history
Zhang Xiaofeng
(Source: "Propaganda Network" 2021-3-19)
Abstract: The popularization of history is an important channel to popularize historical knowledge and historical consciousness; only by popularizing history can it be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, thereby establishing a strong historical consciousness. The value of history is by no means only a "historical reference" for those who govern the country, but more importantly, it is a source of cultural "genes" and a source of motivation for self-improvement for the entire nation.
“If you want to know the great road, you must first study history.” It is the fine tradition of the Communist Party of China to attach importance to historical learning, respect history, and be good at drawing wisdom from history. Comrade Xi Jinping's "On the History of the Communist Party of China" recently published by the Central Literature Publishing House contains a total of 40 important manuscripts by Comrade Xi Jinping on the history of the Communist Party of China. It is profound in thought and rich in connotation, and has become an important guide for promoting historical research and historical education in the new era. It is of great significance to conscientiously study and accurately grasp General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on history.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized: "History is the best textbook and the best sobering agent." "The history of the Chinese revolution is the best nutrition." "The history of a nation is the foundation for a nation to settle down and live." To give full play to the role of history as a "textbook", we must establish a correct view of history and clarify the current cognitive fog.
1. Take a clear-cut stand against historical nihilism and establish a correct view of history
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has taken a clear-cut stand against historical nihilism. The national theoretical circles have launched a continuous struggle to refute historical nihilism, which has effectively curbed the trend of historical nihilism. However, affected by many factors, historical nihilism has not died down and is still "living on" in certain areas.
Currently, historical nihilists not only publish some bizarre theories by wantonly exaggerating facts, arbitrarily cutting history, substituting tributaries for the mainstream, or even making things completely out of thin air, and fabricating facts; they also adopt more covert methods, shifting from naked hard attacks to soft penetration, relying on literary and artistic works and online platforms for expression, moving from academic research to daily life, and from professional intellectuals to the general public. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "We are neither historical nihilists nor cultural nihilists, and we cannot forget our ancestors and belittle ourselves." He emphasized, "No matter which country or nation, if it does not cherish its own ideology and culture and loses the soul of ideology and culture, this country and this nation cannot stand."
Historical nihilism is a public hazard and mortal enemy of historical research. If historical nihilism is not eradicated, it will be difficult for historical research to achieve anything, and it will be difficult to establish a correct view of party history. To oppose historical nihilism, it is far from enough to rely only on party history and party building, ideological and political workers, and Marxist theoretical workers. It also requires the joint efforts of more theoretical workers in various fields of philosophy and social sciences. In particular, it requires the active participation and active actions of more historical scholars. Historians must strengthen their responsibilities, establish problem awareness, rely on their respective advantages in historical literacy and theoretical foundation, and thoroughly fight against historical nihilism; "guide people to establish a correct view of history, nation, country, and culture." They must not withdraw their troops until victory is achieved.
2. Efforts to correct the shortcomings of vulgarization and kitsch in history and promote a truth-seeking and pragmatic research atmosphere
Whether it is historical research itself, the compilation of historical readings, or the dissemination of historical knowledge on the Internet, there is a tendency to be vulgar or even kitsch. Its main manifestations are: arbitrarily fabricating and fabricating historical facts, ignoring people out of the specific historical field, legitimizing autocratic monarchy, violent tactics, etc. in history, and treating despicability as high. Those who believe in playing tricks to succeed, confuse progress and backwardness, justice and injustice, civilization and barbarism in history, and arbitrarily deconstruct civilized rationality, fairness and justice, humanistic values, and noble sentiments. They have become a powerful enemy of the current spread of Chinese history and culture, seriously damaging the people's historical concepts and understanding.
For a period of time, harem secrets and palace anecdotes have become the most popular words that attract the public; some historical dramas ignore basic historical facts and "joke" about history at will, turning a deaf ear to the criticisms of serious historians; in the forum for disseminating historical knowledge, some speakers arbitrarily fabricate so-called historical details, arbitrarily compare history with reality, are full of errors and loopholes, and have a low level of knowledge. What’s more, when disseminating historical events, some historical WeChat public accounts use it as a starting point to meet the “irrational” needs of the public. They arbitrarily tailor historical facts, add extravagant information, cater to flattery, and are vulgar and vulgar, which seriously affects and weakens the function of history to “educate people”.
History cannot only exist in historical materials, printed in books, or placed in study rooms, but must be deeply embedded in everyone's memory. Historical common sense must enter the minds of ordinary people and exist in people's hearts. It cannot be removed or changed, and then it can be elevated to a kind of "historical memory". There is no need to "take evidence" to prove its true existence at any time. The science of history is rigorous and scientific; history must be treated with humility and awe, but not with a casual blasphemy and "anyone can dress it up" mentality. Therefore, contemporary historical scholars must set an example and strive to correct the shortcomings of vulgarity in historical writing and history teaching, and must not let historical facts, historical knowledge, and historical understanding laws slip into the quagmire of vulgarity and kitsch.
3. Break the niche circle of historical research and bravely shoulder the responsibility of popularizing and internationalizing the dissemination of history
The popularization of history is an important channel to popularize historical knowledge and historical awareness; only by popularizing history can it be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, thereby establishing a strong historical awareness. The value of history is by no means only a "historical reference" for those who govern the country, but more importantly, it is a source of cultural "genes" and a source of motivation for self-improvement for the entire nation.
At present, the results of historical research can be described as impressive, and both quantity and quality are different from those of the past. However, high-quality research results are mostly circulated in the "small circle" of a few people, "raised in a boudoir and unknown to others", and it is difficult for them to enter the public eye and become the consensus of the public. In fact, the demand for high-level and high-level historical and cultural knowledge has become an important part of "the people's growing needs for a better life." It is undeniable that there are very few rigorous, vivid, and popular works that incorporate the cutting-edge results and new knowledge of historical research and are popular with the public, and it is difficult to satisfy the people's thirst for knowledge after economic affluence. The contradiction between the lack of high-quality and high-taste popular historical works and people's growing thirst for historical knowledge has become the main contradiction in the field of historical research. There are many factors leading to this current situation, and the unwillingness or disdain of some historians to assume the responsibility of popularizing history is undoubtedly one of them. Historian Mr. Li Xueqin pointed out: "For the majority of historians, their mission is not only to observe and explore history, but also to tell the public the history they know and understand, so that everyone has the necessary understanding and due understanding of history."
At the same time, we must also realize that China has a civilization history of more than 5,000 years, and Chinese history is an important part of world history. However, the "China's figure" in world history is not directly proportional to the "length of time" of China's long history. Whether it is the content of world history narratives, research methods, etc., or the world history narratives of Chinese scholars who study world history, there is very little content about China. As some scholars have pointed out: "For a long time, influenced by Euro-American centrism, the international historical community has not done enough research on Chinese history. Some people lack understanding of the development laws of Chinese history itself, and their interpretations often fall into various misunderstandings, which affects the public's understanding of China." General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Observing historical China is an important perspective for observing contemporary China." Most prejudices and misunderstandings against China around the world stem from blind knowledge and "blank" knowledge of Chinese history. How to allow the world to understand China objectively and rationally is an extremely urgent issue of the times. I believe that through the continuous efforts of the vast number of historians, China’s presence in the “world historical circle” will surely increase, and the narration and writing of Chinese history in world history will become more objective and fair.
Author: Zhang Xiaofeng, professor at the Beijing Institute of Opening up, w88 casino, researcher at the Beijing Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era
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