| Guizot was one of important historians in modem Europe. While his historical thoughts were forming, European culture was changing in the early 19th century. In that time, rationality of Enlightenment was reflected and reviewed. Historicism has gradually become the important blood of historiography. Guizot favored German historicism and became one of the early representative in France. He insisted in jointing actions and thoughts, so historicism provided theoretical basis for his methods of historical evolution and the national thoughts. He insisted on the individual value of history, but not historical dominant. Guizot believed civilization was developing. He believed divine law of freedom and order. Individual had its own value, but it was always under the progress of society, will be reflected only as a whole. As a result, all individuals were deprived of their rights, became followers of the whole or the Europe.From the late of 18th century, historians had new idea that demands the combination of the writing of historical facts and the overall cognition on the society. Guizot detected immediately this kind of change. His historiography not only had insight of philosophy, but also the pursuit of facts, so it was "philosophy of history", and he named it "the general history of civilization". Guizot continued the classification of Bacon. He insisted in the real and practical historiography. Guizot believed that historical science was a kind of practical science. Its importance was utility. Therefore he focused on the relation of history and political, which was also the relation of past and reality in time. He wanted to describe history, interpret reality, and even to conceive the future. Guizot found history to the meaning of life and the core status of the person, but put the civilizing process upon of the human life. History was decided by ultimate meaning, and was abducted by a kind of hypothetical science. This was the illusion in Guizot’s history of civilization.There was the profound connotation of speculative philosophy of history. His conception of history reflected the tradition of the general history in French, and showed people’s self-confidence had been from the industrial revolution in 19th century. German philosophy helped him to observe the course of history as an organic whole. His historiography conformed to the requirements of total history, so it was the beginning of the total history. That was why Guizot got praise from the Annales School. Seen from the context of academic history in France and even Europe, any discussion about the civilization and progress was put forward by Guizot firstly, yet his discussion established the connection between the civilization and progress effectively, and today, people have been used to this connection. Even if there is no scientific significance in progressive ideas, but still has ethical value. As Guizot said, it is freedom not despotism according with human nature. In Guizot’s view, historiography contained three dimensions that science, practice and morality. Historiography ought to participate in social life, and in a positive way, excepting seeking the truth, so the meaning of progress was highlighted.Guizot acknowledged the complexity of historiography. He outlined two clues of the general civilization all the same:The external cause was class struggle; the internal cause was pursuit of freedom which was essential cause. From Guizot’s narrative, history of civilization at the very least to have sunk to social history, and the history of Europe became the history of establishing constitutional monarchy as the ultimate goal. There are many details which do not stand up to scrutiny, such as substitution between individual cases and common facts at liberty, etc.Guizot’s historiography had strong reality. His historical writing earned a place in the thinkers who constructed European cultural identity. He pointed out the differences between the modern European civilization and others. He accepted the benefits from diversity of civilization, but placed these differences in the hierarchical system at the same time, trying to find root cause for the center position of European civilization. Guizot hoped to indicate a path to a civilized society. His blueprint civilization established the central position of European civilization, at the same time, ignored the plural form of civilization. He set a high value on European civilization, but marginalized others’ civilization, which was a kind of Euro-centrism.The historical narration by Guizot could be classified into the modern discourse system. Modernity was not only a kind of political plan, but also a kind of narrative type. Modernity pointed to future. Guizot expounded his idea world by narrating the history of "modern society", but it was an enclosed space, and his plan was only to establish a constitutional monarchy, in which there was full of individual freedom. Modernity was also an experience of time and space, confirmation of self and others. Guizot constructed a Eurocentric world, while on the contrary his idea that diverse forces fought to the harmonious coexistence. The positivist standpoint of Guizot was the combination of realism and modern empiricism, so there was relative color, and conflicted with his truth uniqueness. The main body of civilization was Europe, the main body of modernity was Western, and so modern was a kind of regional civilization. Its ideological trap was not Westerners had been constructed concept itself, but these ideas combined with reality, and knowledge conspired power. Guizot’s historical thinking was paying his "active" practice for such conspiracy as an European thinker.In Short, Guizot was the first person to combine civilization and history, and give the thoughts of progress to it. Although there were many problems in his history of civilization, but it was the epitome of which the scholars pursuit the general history in 19th century. Guizot emphasized on the general history and the method of long period which provided the intellectual resources for the Annales School. |
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