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The Virtue of a Historian

A Dialogue Between Herman Paul and Chinese Theorists of History

Bibliographic Data

ID4496053
AuthorsDawid Rogacz (0000-0002-0007-7599, Adam Mickiewicz University, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume58
Issue2
Pages252-267
Publication date2019-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHistory and Theory (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-2656 • E-ISSN: 1468-2303
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/hith.12112
OpenAlexW2950998586
LanguageEN
Citations received4

This article reflects on the role of scholarly virtues in the Chinese theory of history and compares it with the recent approach proposed by Herman Paul. The first three parts reconstruct what might be called a "Chinese virtue epistemology of history," starting from Confucian views on sincerity in writing history and then turns to concepts of an "unbiased mind" and the "responsibility of a historian." The latter ideas were developed by Zhang Xuecheng (1738-1801), who introduced the concept of "the virtue of a historian (shide)," treating it as a sympathetic understanding toward the narrated characters. Interpretations of shide changed along with modern Chinese theorists of history, some of whom elaborated on it in the positivist manner. Thereafter, the article outlines Paul's view on the function of epistemic virtues in the formation of "historical persona." In the summary, I will draw upon the main similarities and differences between Paul's position and the traditional Chinese view in order to point out the main directions for further research on this topic

China · Epistemic virtue · Epistemology · Function (biology) · History of China · Order (exchange) · Positivism · Sincerity · Sociology · Virtue · Zhàng · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Chinese history and philosophy · History · Law · Philosophy · Reformation and Early Modern Christianity

  • The Epistemic Virtues of an Ottoman Scholar

    Ayaz Asadov•History of Humanities•2025

  • A Rankean Moment in Japan

    Open Access•Michael Facius•Modern Intellectual History•2020

  • Understanding how people relate to their pasts

    Open Access•Mingqi Kuang, Hugh Paul•Rethinking History•2025

  • Thawing the Past after the Red Sun

    Open Access•Fei Yan, Tongtian Xiao et al.•Social Science History•2025

Unique citing works4
Citations per year0,67
Citation span2020 - 2025 (6)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 4

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