Michelet, Carlisle Romantic Historical Thought Compare

The Romantic Historiography served as a link between past and future in the history of the development of western historiography. It corrected the abuse of the historiography in the Enlightment period and made theoretical preparation for objectivism historiography, and its deficiencies and imperfection was made up by the latter. More and more scholars pay attention to the importance of Romantic Historiography, because it was not only a trend of historiography in the specific historical stage, but also involved many basic issues in historiography. Michelet and Carlyle were two representatives in France and British at Romantic Historiography. Comparing between their ideas in historiography can help us achieve a embed and comprehensive understanding in Romantic Historiography'basic characteristics and its internal richness and diversity.The author firstly explore the similarity between the two historians'Romantic Historiography thought. The author points out that under the wide influence of romanticism, their thought of historiography had a lot in common. Both of them valued literary means such as imagination, rhetoric and so on in the process of research and writing in historiography. Then, the author discusses the difference between the two historians'thought of Romantic Historiography. The author points out due to the different living conditions and thoughts constitution,the two historians had much difference in Romantic Historiography thought. Carlyle'historiography was filled with criticism of the modern society because of his deep feelings on the severe conflict in British society under the Industrial Revolution. Carlyle expressed his disaffection through praising the culture and society in medieval period. Michelet focused on the research of the history and tradition of France under the inspiring of the spirit of French Revolution, he demonstrated his nationalism enthusiasm through this kind of research. Carlyle praised the culture in the medieval period; Michelet, with what was different, insisted the Enlightment notion of linear progress.This thesis includes two parts, which are introduction and the text.Part one is the introduction. The author firstly discuss the significance of this research, then introduce some related materials and current situation about the study on Michelet and Carlyle, and thus provide a background of rich historical materials for further writing.Part two is the text, which includes four chapters. Chapter one introduces the main characteristics of Romantic Historiography and its'difference with Objectivism Historiography and Enlightment Historiography.In the second chapter, the author introduces Michelet'and Carlyle'life experience, major works and achievements as well as their core conceptions in historiography thought and thus lay the foundation for the comparing in the below.In the third chapter, the author explores the similarity between the two historians' Romantic Historiography. This chapter is divided into three parts. The first part and the second part discuss the literature flavor in the two historians'works. The third part analyses the reasons and make a evaluation on their literature flavor filled with the historical essays.The fourth chapter is divided into three parts. This chapter discusses the difference between the two historians'thought of Romantic Historiography. The first part discusses Carlyle'criticism on Capitalist civilization and his appreciation on the society and culture in medieval era. In the second part the author discusses Michelet'romatic nationalism thought. The third part analyses the reasons of their difference respectively from social and ideological background.Finally, the author summarizes the comparing in chapter three and chapter four and make a evaluation on the two historian.