In the field of historical science, the long-prevalent "Western-centrism" began in Europe in the 18th century and has had a profound influence today. This view asserts the excellence of Western culture, viewing the East as a barbaric, stagnant secondary player. However, in the past 100 years, Chinese and foreign historians have questioned this view.
The light of questioning.
At the beginning of the 20th century, "Eurocentrism" began to be challenged, and some scholars tried to transcend geographical boundaries and view human history as the intersection of multiple civilizations. German historian O. Schpengler and British historian A. J. Toynbee, among others, portray world history as a history of the rise and fall of multiple civilizations, which is no longer limited to the development of a single civilization.
In the 40s, the British historian G. Baracruff proposed that "the history of Asia and Africa is equally important", and the American scholar L. S. Stavrianos tried to break the framework of country studies and focus on the common situation of various regions of the world and the interrelationship between civilizations in different eras. Scholars such as Peng Mulan, Frank, and John Hobbes have focused on the contributions of Oriental history and formed a diverse research perspective.
The context of questioning Chinese and foreign historiography.
China's historiographers have also questioned "Western-centrism" from different perspectives at different times. Historians such as Lei Haizong, Zhou Gucheng, and Wu Yuxuan paid attention to the totality of world history, and Wu Yuxuan put forward the concept of world history from dispersion to wholeness. Young and middle-aged scholars have questioned "Western-centrism" from the perspectives of civilization diversity, interaction between Eastern and Western civilizations, economy and **, and have achieved some results, but on the whole, they have not yet formed a systematic and mature view.
The historical evolution of "East" and "West".
"East" and "West" are Western-constructed concepts that began as adverbs of direction and later evolved into words to refer to Europe. After the 18th century, "West" not only referred to Europe, but also overseas colonies, and became synonymous with "civilization". The "East" is the designation for the entire area from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea to the coast of China.
The Western concept was mainly a geographical concept before the Cold War, and it became a geopolitical concept during the Cold War, referring to the capitalist camp led by the United States. After the Cold War, the "West" added the factor of economic and social development, referring to the economically developed capitalist countries.
Revealing the historical truth.
To break the "Western-centrism", we need to start from a macro perspective of historical evolution. Compare the comprehensive strength of the East and the West, including economic, military, political, social governance and civilization. Through historical facts, we find that "Western-centrism" lacks historical support, similar to "the emperor's new clothes".
The four stages of the historical balance of power.
Through the generalization and identification of the four stages of the balance of power between the East and the West in world history, we can see the changes in the balance of power between the East and the West in history. Since the Middle Ages, the East has been stronger than the West, the East is rich and the West is poor, and the East is stable and the West is in turmoil. After 1500, the West rose, but the East still maintained some power. At the beginning of the 19th century, the West rose to become the dominant power. Since the middle of the 20th century, the East and the West have been at loggerheads, showing a multipolar balance.
Epilogue. In this grand academic theme, we reveal the essence of "Western-centrism" that lacks historical support through the historical evolution of the balance of power. This view may be a new thing, or even an accidental phenomenon. The real history should not be distorted, and a pluralistic worldview will lead us to a better understanding of the development of human civilization.
Breaking the "Western-Centrism": Historical Truth and Pluralistic World View" This article profoundly examines the evolution and questioning of the historical perspective of "Western-centrism", as well as the reflection of Chinese and foreign historiography circles. In my opinion, this is a thought-provoking essay that both questions the historical perspective and presents us with a more realistic and pluralistic picture of history through the lens of historical evolution.
First of all, the article gives a detailed introduction to the formation and evolution of "Western-centrism". By describing the process by which this historical view was formed in the 18th century and questioned in the early 20th century, we see the gradual evolution of this view. The scholars mentioned in the article, such as the German historian O. Spengler and the British historian A.J. Toynbee, as well as Lei Haizong, Zhou Gucheng, and Wu Yuxuan in China, have all raised profound doubts about "Western-centrism" at different levels. This provides the reader with a broad scholarly perspective that allows us to understand more fully the nature of this historical perspective and its problems.
Secondly, by sorting out the historical evolution of the two concepts of "East" and "West", the article reveals that the two are not stereotypical opposites. The author notes that these two concepts were originally adverbs of geographical direction and later became synonymous with civilization. This conceptual shift reflects the West's perception of its own civilizational status, which has evolved over the course of history. This perspective provides us with a different perspective from the traditional binary opposition, and allows us to better understand the reasons behind the emergence of "Western-centrism".
The article also divides history into four stages through the historical evolution of the balance of power, and explains the changes in the balance of power between the East and the West. This historical perspective makes it clearer that the relationship between East and West has not been static, but has been reversed many times at different stages. This helps us to understand the nature of "Western-centrism", which is actually lacking in historical support, and is as absurd as "the emperor's new clothes". Through the analysis of historical facts, the article successfully presents us with the historical truth, so that readers have a clearer understanding of the "Western-centrism" viewpoint.
In general, this article presents a more realistic and pluralistic historical picture through the critique of the "Western-centrism" historical perspective and the analysis of historical evolution. The author's point of view is clear and logical, and the scholars and historical facts cited in the article also make the article more convincing. This article not only provides readers with the opportunity to think deeply about "Western-centrism", but also inspires us to keep an open mind in historical research, abandon a single point of view, and look at the history of human civilization from a more comprehensive perspective.
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