'Layer-by-layer construction of the ancient history of China': Gu Jiegang's method and hypothesis

The article focuses on the establishment of the theoretical and methodological basis of the Chinese historical school of doubt in antiquity led by Gu Jiegang, a prominent historian. The study is driven and inspired by the growing research interest in the transitional periods of non-Western history....

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Main Author: S.G. Petrova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Kazan Federal University 2021-12-01
Series:Ученые записки Казанского университета: Серия Гуманитарные науки
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Online Access:https://kpfu.ru/uz-eng-hum-2021-6-11.html
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author S.G. Petrova
author_facet S.G. Petrova
author_sort S.G. Petrova
collection DOAJ
description The article focuses on the establishment of the theoretical and methodological basis of the Chinese historical school of doubt in antiquity led by Gu Jiegang, a prominent historian. The study is driven and inspired by the growing research interest in the transitional periods of non-Western history. Gu Jiegang’s historical ideas and skeptical views, the method that he introduced, and his influence on the development of history as a science in China are analyzed using the comparative historical, genetic, and historical-biographical methods. Having absorbed the ideas of the traditional textological approach of Kaozheng, in particular the critical views of the Qing scribe Cui Shu, and the “genetic” method of his teacher Hu Shi, which had been adopted by the latter from J. Dewey, Gu Jiegang developed his own method of “layer-by-layer” reconstruction, which allows one to extract the “reliable” by identifying the “doubtful”. His hypothesis and methods were published and sparked furious debate among historians. Therefore, it is obvious that Gu Jiegang’s ideas induced the transformation of the historical thinking in China during the first third of the 20th century.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2541-7738
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publishDate 2021-12-01
publisher Kazan Federal University
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series Ученые записки Казанского университета: Серия Гуманитарные науки
spelling doaj-art-4775b077e1b547dd9a86ef87f90dbcaa2025-01-02T11:40:25ZengKazan Federal UniversityУченые записки Казанского университета: Серия Гуманитарные науки2541-77382500-21712021-12-01163614415610.26907/2541-7738.2021.6.144-156'Layer-by-layer construction of the ancient history of China': Gu Jiegang's method and hypothesisS.G. Petrova0Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, 125993 RussiaThe article focuses on the establishment of the theoretical and methodological basis of the Chinese historical school of doubt in antiquity led by Gu Jiegang, a prominent historian. The study is driven and inspired by the growing research interest in the transitional periods of non-Western history. Gu Jiegang’s historical ideas and skeptical views, the method that he introduced, and his influence on the development of history as a science in China are analyzed using the comparative historical, genetic, and historical-biographical methods. Having absorbed the ideas of the traditional textological approach of Kaozheng, in particular the critical views of the Qing scribe Cui Shu, and the “genetic” method of his teacher Hu Shi, which had been adopted by the latter from J. Dewey, Gu Jiegang developed his own method of “layer-by-layer” reconstruction, which allows one to extract the “reliable” by identifying the “doubtful”. His hypothesis and methods were published and sparked furious debate among historians. Therefore, it is obvious that Gu Jiegang’s ideas induced the transformation of the historical thinking in China during the first third of the 20th century.https://kpfu.ru/uz-eng-hum-2021-6-11.htmlchina’s historychina’s historiographymethodologyskepticismgu jieganghu shidoubt in antiquity
spellingShingle S.G. Petrova
'Layer-by-layer construction of the ancient history of China': Gu Jiegang's method and hypothesis
Ученые записки Казанского университета: Серия Гуманитарные науки
china’s history
china’s historiography
methodology
skepticism
gu jiegang
hu shi
doubt in antiquity
title 'Layer-by-layer construction of the ancient history of China': Gu Jiegang's method and hypothesis
title_full 'Layer-by-layer construction of the ancient history of China': Gu Jiegang's method and hypothesis
title_fullStr 'Layer-by-layer construction of the ancient history of China': Gu Jiegang's method and hypothesis
title_full_unstemmed 'Layer-by-layer construction of the ancient history of China': Gu Jiegang's method and hypothesis
title_short 'Layer-by-layer construction of the ancient history of China': Gu Jiegang's method and hypothesis
title_sort layer by layer construction of the ancient history of china gu jiegang s method and hypothesis
topic china’s history
china’s historiography
methodology
skepticism
gu jiegang
hu shi
doubt in antiquity
url https://kpfu.ru/uz-eng-hum-2021-6-11.html
work_keys_str_mv AT sgpetrova layerbylayerconstructionoftheancienthistoryofchinagujiegangsmethodandhypothesis