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This lecture is part of the School of Chinese RPg Student Conference on “History, Institutions, and Documents of Imperial China From the 10th to the 13th Century”

作為思維方式的歷史學——以契丹研究為例

History as A Way of Thinking: A Case Study of Khitan Research

主講嘉賓 Speaker：Prof. Miao Runbo 苗潤博教授

主持人 Moderator：Prof. Ming Kin Chu 朱銘堅教授

日期 Date：17 January 2025 (Fri)

時間 Time：15:00pm – 16:30pm

語言 Language：Putonghua普通話

地點 Venue：CRT 7.30, Run Run Shaw Tower, HKU

Abstract

好的歷史學研究如同偵探破案。尋常人眼中的歷史是寫好了的，確定無疑的，是用來被記住的，區別似乎只在於知道的多少、記住了多少，如此一來，歷史記載特別是權威經典中的敘述，自然就意味著歷史的真相。而在好的歷史學家那裡，歷史敘述卻很可能只是一處又一處犯罪現場，案件的真相則隱藏在層層疊疊的資料碎片之下。現場的遺物哪些經過了處心積慮的安排，哪些又在不經意間露出了馬腳，你所看到的有多少是有人想讓你看到的？不同的證言孰真孰偽，究竟該如何採信？看似毫無關聯的案件之間是否隱然有草蛇灰線，是否應該並案處理？原本天衣無縫的案情描述哪裡存在破綻，是誰想瞞天過海，推倒之後又該如何重來？這一類抽絲剝繭、啟疑發覆式的頭腦風暴，對應的正是歷史學最基本的問題意識和專業素養，也是這門學科能夠持續進行知識創新的生命力所在，而其中一以貫之的精神內核就在於批判性思維和反思性重構。

Good historical research is like solving a detective case. In the eyes of ordinary people, history appears to be written, certain, and meant to be remembered. The only difference seems to be how much one knows or remembers. Therefore, historical records, especially the narratives in official documents, naturally imply the truth of history. However, for a good historian, historical narratives are likely crime scenes, with the truth hidden beneath layers of fragmented materials. Which material was deliberately arranged, and which inadvertently revealed clues? Which evidence was true, and which should be taken credibility? Is there any connection between seemingly unrelated cases, and should they be merged? Who was trying to deceive? How should one restart after turning over past conclusions? Such consciousness of problems corresponds to the fundamental requirements of historical study, which requires critical thinking and reflective reconstruction.

About the Speaker

苗潤博，北京大學中國古代史研究中心暨歷史學系長聘副教授、研究員，主要研究領域為宋遼金史、中國史學史、歷史文獻學，學術著作有《〈遼史〉探源》《文獻清源與史學問徑》《重構契丹早期史》。

Miao Runbo is Associate Professor of Center for Research on Ancient Chinese History and the Department of History in Peking University. His research mainly focuses on the history of Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties, the history of Chinese historiography and the historical document studies. His scholarly monographs include Exploring the Origins of the “History of Liao”, Clearing the Source of Historical Documents and the Path of Historiography, and Reconstructing the History of the Predynastic Khitan.

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