In the fifteenth year of Wanli, who can give me an authoritative book review?

Two cheers, one boo - Impressions of Thirty Years in "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli"

In 1986, Xu Youyu and others went to the UK to study, and the embassy issued a copy Book, said: "The history you studied before does not completely represent the real history... Now that the country is open, if you talk to foreigners, you will make a big joke." This incident made Xu "can remember it for the rest of his life." Because "it can be seen from this incident how one-sided, how problematic, and how feeble the historical knowledge instilled in Chinese students was!"

To this day, although indoctrination-based history education It still exists, but the reading of history has changed dramatically. What led the trend in this change was a relatively small history book: "The Fifteen Years of Wanli" by Chinese-American Huang Renyu. In the thirty years since Huang commissioned a friend to contact domestic publishing houses in 1978, the book has become more and more famous. Looking back on the thirty years of this book, my impression is, in Huang Renyu’s words, “two cheers and one boo.”

Two cheers

The first cheer came from the key figures in the process of publishing the Chinese version.

The first one should be Yu Hawei, an alumnus of Huang Renyu who studied at Changsha Linda University in 1937. Yu works at IBM and is also the president of the Mid-Huson River Chinese Association. He was probably the first person to read "The Fifteen Years of Wanli" and discussed the book at fraternity meetings.

In the summer of 1978, Yu went to China, and Huang commissioned him to find the publisher of "Wan". You must know that the English version of the book (1587, A Year of No Significance) has encountered obstacles in the British and American publishing circles because of its unique style. The Chinese version is Huang's secret hope. This hope did not fail. Huang Miaozi, Yu's relative in Beijing, was willing to recommend it to Zhonghua Book Company.

In 1978, China had just emerged from the shadow of the Cultural Revolution. Whether it could accept the works of a foreigner was still a problem. This problem could be serious enough to affect the so-called "political stance." Huang Miaozi wrote to China editor Fu Xuancong on May 23, 1979, recommending the manuscript of "Wan". Although Fu proposed to "accept publication in principle", he was "afraid of going too far and causing political problems." A bookstore leader believed that "Why bother publishing books written by foreigners" and "it is not appropriate to accept them". Thanks to deputy editor-in-chief Zhao Shouyan’s decisive words, the manuscript of “Wan” was published.

According to Huang Renyu’s own account, as early as March 27, 1979, Yu called him to tell him that China “agreed in principle to publish this book.” What's going on? It turned out that two other people knew that Huang Miaozi was entrusted with recommending manuscripts, Jin Yaoru and Chen Hanbo. Both of them are veteran revolutionaries with rich experience. Jin worked at the Commercial Press (he was appointed editor-in-chief of Hong Kong's "Wen Wei Po" at the end of 1978, and later left China for some reasons), and Chen was the acting director of the Publishing Bureau. Jin told Huang that as long as the manuscript was available, it would be published as soon as possible, "doing so would have a good influence on foreign intellectuals," and Chen agreed with his idea. The opinions of Jin and Chen naturally carry more weight (Fu's review report also said: "For foreign scholars, a book published in China can have a good impact."). Perhaps this can explain why Huang Renyu was able to do so in advance. Learn the fate of the Chinese version.

The second cheer began, of course, after the publication of "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli". In May 1982, "Wan" was launched. When people first read it, they feel "amazing". The readership has been broad from the beginning: from scholars to students, from writers to entrepreneurs, they all got a taste of "Wan".

In general people's impression, "Wan" did not arouse any positive response in the mainland history circle when it first came out. This is not quite accurate. Liu Zhiqin, a researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences (graduated from the History Department of Fudan University in 1960) said that this book "soon after it was published by Zhonghua Book Company, I read this book and was deeply attracted by the novel subject matter and writing method." "This book The book is like a dark horse that has emerged, and people cannot ignore it. How to evaluate this book once became a controversial topic in the Ming history academic circle." The fact that it has become a topic in the academic community shows how much attention it has attracted, and there must be some positive opinions in it. Li Kaiyuan, a professor at Japan's Koji University, recalled: "In the 1980s, when I first read "The Fifteen Years of Wanli", I was surprised that history could still be expressed in this way. Inspire each other and intend to work together to create a new future for history.

"This is a group of young scholars active in Beijing universities, including Li Ling, Yan Buke, Liu Beicheng, Gao Wangling and others. During the call for "historical crisis" in the mid-1980s, they tried to make breakthroughs in historical research methods and ideas. As time goes by, more and more historians have publicly discussed "Wan", such as Shang Zhuan, Xiao Gongqin, Zhao Shiyu, Fan Shuzhi, Mao Peiqi, etc. It can be said that "Wan" has gradually become popular in mainland history circles.

In the 1980s, many students in colleges and universities, especially graduate students, fell in love with "Wan" at first sight. Zhu Xueqin, a professor of history at Shanghai University, was a graduate student in the history department of Shaanxi Normal University. Said: "When I first read "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli", I felt like I was getting an electric shock, and it is still fresh in my memory. "History of science and technology scholar Jiang Xiaoyuan's memories are even more interesting: "In 1982, I was studying for a master's degree... I read many papers by my predecessors. Unfortunately, they often made me drowsy... 'Do I have to write like this? Is it a career? ’ I asked myself many times, feeling a little frustrated. At this time of hesitation and hesitation, "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli" appeared. It was like a guiding light, letting me see that academic texts can actually be written like this! This strengthened my confidence in choosing an academic career. "Xu Jilin, a distinguished professor at East China Normal University in Zijiang, once told the media that he read "Wan" when he was a graduate student in the history of political thought. "When I was just starting to engage in academic research, Huang Renyu's "The Fifteen Years of Wanli" had an important impact on me. The impact is very large. ...I almost imitated this book to write my debut novel." Huang Renyu's books have always been recommended readings in university classes. For example, students in Shanghai Normal University's Grade 02 History Spring Class read it on the recommendation of their teachers. "Ten Thousands" and "China's Great History", the author also became aware of Huang's name when he was in college in the early 1990s because his teacher recommended "China's History on the banks of the Hudson"

Actually, this book is. For scholars, the influence is not limited to the history major. Liang Zhiping, a researcher at the China Academy of Art, summed up his academic career when talking about "Wan": "His books are definitely not as arrogant and common in some historical works in mainland China. Arrogant, even arrogant and domineering. I appreciate Huang's scholarly style, so when I started writing the book "Searching for Harmony in the Natural Order" in the summer of 1987, I deliberately implemented the historical spirit I felt in "The Fifteen Years of Wanli" into into your own historical narrative. "Xie Mian, a professor of the Chinese Department of Peking University, also mentioned in his academic narrative that "Ten Thousands" inspired his conception of Chinese century-old literature, and introduced it to students more than once.

"Theoretical Information News" in the 1980s " once investigated "what books have writers read recently". The most popular literary work at that time only appeared once, but "Wan" was listed in the bibliographies of two writers at the same time. It can be seen that "Wan" already had considerable influence in the early days of its publication. . Two writers who read "Wan" cannot but mention: Wang Xiaobo and Wang Shuo. Wang Xiaobo's review of "Wan" contains seriousness in his humor: "Old good books are always better than new bad books", and "Wan" "is a mirror." , it shows how our predecessors behaved and worked. ...A modern country cannot grow in a jar of Confucianism."

It may be difficult for anyone to imagine that Wang Shuo, who gives people a sense of cynicism, is also a supporter of "Wan". Wang Shuo said that when he was young, he thought history It was just a pile of old papers, coupled with the "sequelae caused by studying "History of the Chinese Revolution"", so he "didn't like history books and was not sensitive to them". As late as 1995, he bought a copy of "Wan" because of Xie Mian's praise. Unexpectedly, he was deeply moved after reading it. He wrote that "Wan" was "like a window that opened up my horizons." What's even more rare is that he understood why our history books are not good-looking. Because “rigid ideas limit people’s vision. …The high degree of politicization and ideologicalization has consumed the personality and courage of historical scholars. It is their lack of reflection and innovative spirit on historical methods, which has resulted in the lifelessness of historical works.” He also reflected on what some people often say Even if there are difficulties in the "consciousness of stability", if "blindly adopting conservative measures for the sake of stability and security is really a kind of escape and sacrifice" - he asked with concern: "In today's world where we claim to be prosperous In a society that is stable, praising peace and prosperity, and seemingly vibrant on the surface, if you scratch it with Mr. Huang's sharp knife, will you find all kinds of rotten skin and tendons under the skin? …Looking at the historical lessons of the impact of traditional politics on the economy, how many more days do we want to delay and escape under the guise of stability and unity? He reminded people: "Our reforms start from the repair of economic policies, gradually move to structural adjustments, and then to the economic system. However, they will always end up in the political system."

"Although he said that he was "short-sighted... he could only talk casually to show that he had really thought about it after reading the book." However, the author believes that this is a quite accurate post-reading review, even more worthy of our attention than its literary works.

Entrepreneurs read "Wan" in a unique way. Zeng Wenqi of BenQ Company has read "Wan" five times in twenty years. He combined "Wan" with organizational management: "This. The value of this book is that when we observe these people in the organizations around us, from their daily practices, thoughts, and opinions, we can see the future rise and fall of the company, thereby cultivating an insight into the future. "Entrepreneurs who have drawn wisdom from "Wan" include Luo Zhixian of Uni-President Group, Tian Suning of China Broadband Fund, Wang Shi of Vanke, etc.

In recent years, historical writing has been very busy, and it is not difficult to find people who have learned from "Wan". The authors we are familiar with include Wu Si, Li Yaping, Yi Zhongtian and others. Their works have sold well, but to be fair, it is difficult for them to have such a profound influence as "Wan", let alone other historical writers. , most of them are just retelling stories from old history books, and they are just scheming and scheming - emperors and generals are often good at this, which makes Chinese history full of coldness; studying scheming from history, and studying cultivation Citizens are harmful rather than helpful.

Over the past two decades, "Wan" has become more and more popular, which is not unrelated to the word-of-mouth effect. There are many experts and celebrities among the younger generation who read "Wan" in the early years. Their recommendations are frequently seen in newspapers, and the Internet makes communication among readers more convenient, which makes more and more people come into contact with this book. Currently, there are three versions of "Wan" on Dangdang.com, with sales in the tens of thousands, and reader comments. There are more than 860 articles, and the majority of them are well received. The cheers from ordinary readers are real and palpable. "Shenzhen Business Daily" commented: "The reprint of Wan" in thirty years is like a cup of Kung Fu tea. With the fermentation and accumulation of time, the influence gradually spreads from the academic circles to the public. ”

A round of boos

From academic circles to ordinary readers, although there are not as many boos as there are cheers for “Wan”, there are still many people there.

Shanghai Xiao Gongqin, a professor at the National Normal University, recalled that "shortly after the publication of "Wan", I asked a senior historian to comment on this book. The teacher said lightly that that person was just a reporter before liberation. Huang Renyu, University of Michigan in 1964. He graduated with a doctorate in history, but this senior turned a blind eye.

It is probably a characteristic of Wang Chunyu, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Academy of Social Sciences, to praise and criticize based on his background instead of relying on academic research. The article "Miscellaneous Reminiscences of Huang Renyu" attracted the refutation of many netizens. The difference between Wang and Huang is not so much a difference in temperament, but rather a conflict between two social traits - one advocates honesty. He is gentle and has a strong habit of ranking based on seniority; the other advocates individuality first, and his son can call his father by his first name.

The academic criticism article that the author read is undoubtedly Pan Shuming and Xu Sumin's "The Fifteenth Year of Wanli" on Li Zhi's works. "Misreading" ("Southeast Academic Journal, Issue 5, 2000"). This article provides a valuable refutation of the use of historical data in Li Zhi's chapter of "Wan", but it is not enough to overturn the discussion of this chapter.

Recently, Chen Wutong, a professor at the Central China National University, wrote "Questions on the Fifteenth Year of Wanli", accusing Huang Renyu's view of history of being "unscientific" and originating from China's "stagnation theory". The principles of historical research even denounced Huang's misreading of individual historical data as distortion and falsification of historical data, saying that "Wan" is "not qualified as an academic work". The whole text is more emotional than rational, "tampering" and "unqualified". "This is obviously an exaggeration.

Lu Xun said: "If we want a complete book, there will probably be no book that can be read in the world. "Based on the author's many years of editing experience, this is very true. Therefore, the author agrees with targeted criticism and disagrees with the above-mentioned criticism. The author also believes that labeling everything with "science" is not scientific in itself. British physicist James Jeans and A. Eddington believe that science does not have an objective standard, and the physical world is just a construct in people's minds, because people's "knowledge is formed subjectively." American scientist Maurice Golan wrote "Science and Anti-Science". It also fully exposed the conflicts, myths and deceptions that exist in the scientific community, and wrote about the ridiculousness and absurdity of worshiping science as a religion. American writer Colin Evans described the so-called so-called crimes in many major cases in "Evidence". How “medical and scientific evidence” led to miscarriages of justice in courts.

After all, it is humans who are active, not angels. Historical perspective is a more subjective category. You see, for a long time, our country's historical research has been devastated and lifeless under the guidance of the so-called scientific view of history. The history textbooks even state that "there are only four great inventions left, Zhaozhou Bridge, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, plus the individual." Zhang Qian's passage to the Western Regions" caused people to "cut off their spiritual connection with their own history" (Xiao Gong Qin). In view of this, Zhang Jianbo of the High School Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University believes that "Ten Thousands" has "beautiful writing, unique historical explanations, grand historical concepts, and deep realistic concerns" and "especially can stimulate the ideological desire of our teachers and students." It called on "both teachers and students to read "The Fifteen Years of Wanli"" and hoped that "textbooks will no longer dominate thoughts" and "students will become people with an independent spirit through education."

Domestic scholars’ dislike of China’s “stagnation theory” is certainly based on national sentiment, but their rebuttal is weak. Generally speaking, the theory of backwardness comes from international comparison, while the theory of progress focuses on one's present versus the past - one's family uses horse-drawn trains instead of walking, while others have entered the age of magnetic levitation. How can comparison be more conducive to improvement?

Different from the traditional Chinese view of history, which tends toward moral praise and criticism, Huang Renyu's view of history focuses on explaining history technically, and the core vocabulary "digital management" is often misunderstood. Even scholars and celebrities who praised "Ten Thousand" are no exception. For example, Ge Zhaoguang and Tian Suning equated it with "digital management". Wang Xiaobo regarded it as a statistic and questioned that "the numbers can be false." Netizen "Wei Zhou" wrote an article to argue that this is a false proposition. The article quotes from many sources and interprets "digital management" as "standardized management", arguing that this will lead to centralization and negate it. These understandings are meaningless, or forced to explain others. When Huang Renyu studied the finances of the Ming Dynasty, he had long emphasized the habit of Ming Dynasty officials to tamper with figures and follow rules. In some places, land inventories from the early Ming Dynasty were still used until the Republic of China. "Ten Thousand" shows how a closed bureaucratic class stifles any positive factors and "does not allow or promote unbalanced development in various places." Huang has a profound understanding of the drawbacks of centralization.

In fact, Huang’s “digital management” means that the entire social resources can be calculated truthfully, integrated into a recording system (the core is the formal property rights system), and can flow and exchange freely: “If society can By accepting that property rights are absolute and supreme, everything can be added, subtracted, inherited, transferred, and put into trust. Therefore, all aspects of material life, whether private or public, can be handled numerically. Sex is conducive to the accumulation of wealth and creates a dynamic environment. "This is a true commercial society. The market is not a primitive "self-enforcing market" but a modern "socially planned market" with reliable and clearly defined property rights. interests and personal rights, and there is no form of usurpation - every asset and its increase or decrease can be updated and recorded in a timely manner, and can be divided and combined at will, and quickly converted into capital; the government protects the security of property and transactions, However, arbitrary intervention in property distribution is not allowed. In such a society, high moral standards are not advocated, but personal creation is encouraged. Wealth accumulation is astonishingly rapid, but the gap between rich and poor is gradually narrowing; the judiciary is independent and fair, information is true and transparent, and corrupt officials and profiteers find it difficult to survive; people have rights, but do not beg for privileges. . (See the writings of Mancur Olson, Keith R. Sunstein, Hernando de Soto and others.)

Although Huang Renyu has repeatedly expressed his views on China’s reform and opening up, Legal and economic connections with lower-level institutions are optimistic, but I do not dare to discount them. Walking around the streets of Beijing, you can see slogans everywhere such as "Report census data truthfully and truly reflect the entire economy." It can be imagined that we are still far away from "number management", and the widely circulated proverb among the people is "Numbers come from officials, and officials come from numbers." It also shows that today there are still some similarities with traditional China.

This impression is already very long. Let me finally explain the origin of the title. In September 1952, Huang Renyu entered the University of Michigan to major in journalism. In the "Law and Journalism" class of department chair Wesley Mohler, the atmosphere was lively and lively. Huang concluded: "In the United States, three cheers are not good enough. It should be two cheers and one boo." This is. An atmosphere of freedom, equality, openness, and diversity—when will our history classes be like this and change the habit of indoctrination?