Evolution And Transformation: Late Renaissance French Historian Analysis Theory

The late Renaissance is an important turing period from the Renaissance to the Enlightment. Like all transitional stages in history, it is complicated and changeable. During this period, the discipline of history develops sufficiently. "Evolution and Transformation" is its most representative characteristic. Making a whole observation, the historiography of late Renaissance plays a significant role, which inheriting humanism achievement and opening a way for future rationalism historiography. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to analyze the historical feature of late Renaissance historiography, foucus on the development of French historiography, and further expound its historical role in the history of western historiography.Besides introduction and conclusion, this dissertation includes five chapters. The introduction explains the purpose and significance of this research, some research background, and the perspective, clue and materials of this project.The first chapter discusses the historical background of late Renaissance historiography. With the combination of historical and cultural situation in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, this research first analyzes different levels of western European historiography, then mainly emphasizes the central position and historical contribution of French historiography.The second chapter focuses on the idea of historical progress. By arguing three types of ideas:degeneration, cycle and progress, this chapter demonstrates that the idea of progress is a product of modern social development and regards it as an enormous transformation in historical epistemology. Meanwhile, the close relationship between porgress and scientific knowledge is remarked through a consideration about the inherent system of progressive concept. Also, examining its characteristic of continuity and unity, this part points out the idea of progress eventually becomes a central idea of human civilization and self-affirmation.The third chapter investigates the idea of universal history. It chiefly discusses the link between expansion of human activities and the work of world historians. After reviewing some basic vocabulary related to the universal concept and surveying the practice of world historains'compiling historical books, this part reveals that an open, viewed, and multicenter perspective of historian could not only develop the study of prehistoric history, cultural history, anthropology and other fields, but also make historians actively and consciously build a new kind of world picture.The fourth chapter studies the process of historical self-reflection. In such a transitional period, late Renaissance historians, especially some advanced French historians, began to ponder taking history as an independent discipline. According to that logic, this part first explains the crisis of history as a true kind of discipline, then figures out it is the scientific and conscious self-reflection that provides a philosophical analysis for history, so as to reach a high degree of specialized discipline. At the same time, in terms of form, content and method, this chapter further analyzes its specific performance.The fifth chapter is about "the Age of Erudtion:histroical materials and historical research". By exploring achievements of two groups:the Bollandists and the Maurists, this part proves that authenticity and objectivity of historical materials is very vital to historical methodology, and emphasizes the historical position of some prominet scholars. In addition, it also examines a series of historical auxiliary discipline, such as philology, paleography, archeology, numismatics and chronology, have established a solid foundation for later historical research.In the conclusion, it places late Renaissance historiography in the long history of western historiography and discusses its contribution and influence, in order to display the role and function of French historiography in western historiography.