傅斯年의 역사연구 방법론과 역사인식

Fu Ssu-nian's Methodology of Historical Research and His Historical Perception -What Did His Scholarship of Patriotism leave?

Fu Ssu-nian, who was one of the most famous historians of modern China, contributed to the scientization of Chinese historical research by transplanting the methodology of German positivism into China and thus made the historical science as an independent discipline in China. His remarkable research on Chinese archeology can also be considered as his important achievement. He cleared up the unsolved questions of the ancient Chinese history by unearthing Yinxu and constantly trained many leading archeologists. However his methodology had not any philosophical grounds for humanistic values because he excessively trusted the Western tradition of scientific positivism and adapted it to the Chinese history. He took no notice of fundamental principles of human beings and the world, essences of life, and moral values as well as the rules of historical change and development and its causal relations. It's a wrong opinion that Fu Ssu-nian transplanted the Ranke's positivism into China. Ranke would never try to expel philosophical ideas from history although it can be true that he considered historically positive materials as great important factors in his research. In fact, Ranke thought that the power of history depended on 'Ideas' or 'spiritual substances.’ Ranke's detailed and strict methodology cannot be considered as the final end of historical research but as an effort to find out the leading ideas of each historical stage. We can say that Ranke would not emphasize positivistic research exclusively but Fu Ssu-nian and a few modern Chinese historians would. China and its people were being threatened by the invasion of imperialism when Fu Ssu-nian worked in China. For this reason, his research and perception had a great tendency of nationalism. He was inclined to subordinate historical facts to his contemporary political and social problems. In terms of his national problems, he tried to disregarded his usual conviction that he had emphasized the scientific and positivistic research before. Such an aspect says that Dong-bei-shi-gang(『東北史綱』) is a groundless and failed historical research. By the same reason, it seems that the contemporary Chinese Northeast Project(東北工程) also depends on an illogical basis traced back to his failed theory. We can make sure that the attitude of many contemporary Chinese intellectuals towards Northeast Project and national problems is not different from Fu Ssu-nian's. We ought learn from his mistake that historical researches can be easily reduced into an useful instrument to political powers and make historians lose their academic pride as well as produce misunderstanding of history if they cannot keep a good distance from his contemporary political issues.