Historical understanding and historical appraisal
pp. 167-183
in: Deshun Li (ed), Values of our times, Berlin, Springer, 2013Abstract
This paper focuses on probing the intrinsic relationship between historical understanding and historical appraisal, maintaining that understanding history and the appraisal of its value are parts and parcel of the study of history in its entirety. My claim is that subjectivity in the appraisal can be integrated with objectivism in understanding. Not only is understanding history merely in the service of factualism, but can also be utilized for finding out how the past would impose its influence upon present social progress. If only we could combine the appraisal of value with the understanding of historical facts, we could create a complete process for our research.