A Study Of Li Da’s Historical Thoughts

Li Da was a versatile scholar who contributed a lot to Chinese Marxism academic history in the first half of the20th century. He was well known not only as a politician, educator and philosopher, but also a scholar versed in many fields such as law, economics, numismatics and historical science, etc. However, shadowed by his enormous theoretical achievements on philosophy, economics, law and pedagogy, his constant exploration and great contribution to historical science has been hidden and not well known. In fact, Li Da’s historical thoughts cover all of the historical theories and reach a profound content and comprehensive system.Li Da’s historical thoughts originated in a state of confrontation and fusion between west and east cultures, ancient and current cultures in modern China and was produced by the interaction of three key elements. Firstly, traditional historical science laid a theoretical foundation for Li Da’s historical thoughts. In his youth, Li Da was enlightened and influenced by Huxiang local historical science and culture. Secondly, historical materialism laid a theoretical basis for Li Da’s historical thoughts. Li Da was greatly influenced by Hajime Kawakami (1879-1946), an early Japanese Marxist and Soviet Union Marxism historical science. Thirdly, Li Da’s own interest and talents in historical science provided him great advantages.Through a comprehensive and careful investigation and analysis of Li Da’s historical thoughts, the writer finds that Li Da had done a deep and systematic research on history theories, historical science theories and historical methods, and produced many new scientific theories. On history theories, Li Da enriched and developed Marxism historical materialism and made a profound elaboration of the content, features, development power of history and comments on historical figures. He formed his scientific views of history, which provided theoretical guidance and historical evidence for Chinese Communists led by Mao Zedong making China revolutionary line, principles and policies.On historical science theories, Li Da made a clear elaboration of the objects, definition, features, tasks, status and values of historical science and its relationship with sociology, and exposed the internal nature and development laws of historical science, which greatly promoted the development of Chinese Marxism historical science theories.On historical methods, Li Da widely applied both the universal and the special historical methods to his historical science practice, which greatly enriched his historical science thoughts.Owing to his great achievements in historical science, Li Da’s thoughts had greatly promoted Chinese Marxism historical science development and played an important role in history. In summary, Li Da’s major achievements in historical science are as follows:firstly, he criticized the feudal characteristics of traditional historical science; secondly, he expanded the influence of historical materialism on Chinese Marxism historical science; thirdly, he opened up a new direction and field for Chinese Marxism historical science; fourthly, he educated and cultivated a group of talented people of Chinese Marxism historical science.Li Da’s historical research was peculiar. The academic road he experienced was from the natural science learning to Marxism research, and eventually to construct a structurally well-organized philosophical system concerning Marxist political economics, historical science, law and other aspects based on Marxism philosophy. To some extent, Li Da’s historical thoughts, based on his philosophical thoughts and his historical science theory, was a part of his philosophical thoughts. Therefore, Li Da attached great importance to the research of historical philosophy, i.e. the research of historical materialism. Compared with other Marxist historians, Li Da’s historical research was more abstract and dialectical. With the impact of natural science, especially with the use of scientific method to study history and historical material, Li Da formed his solid foundation of research on theoretical problems. The research was more rational and dialectical. Furthermore, influenced by practical learning style of Huxiang school, Li Da always explored his historical research around the practical problems, which was certainly a common feature of Marxist historians. However, his research was different from other historians in the following aspects. In the research vision, Li Da paid attention to the inspection of China’s specific historical problems from the macroscopic world history for his familiarity of world history. In the research perspective, Li Da’s research was a comprehensive research of various factors from the research of economics history to the social and historical development. In the research method, Li Da attached special importance to the comparison between Chinese and Western history and culture, consciously used comparative study method, aiming to find the good prescription for saving China. In the research attitude, Li Da made full use of the role of Marxist historical criticism. He consistently adhered to the principle of historical materialism in the historical science research, criticising fiercely against historical idealism, metaphysics, especially the traditional feudal historical science, therefore, his historical research had a strong spirit of the struggle of the history.Owing to the important influence and great historical status of Li Da’s historical science thoughts, we could affirm that Li Da was a renowned historian. Li Da’s historical thoughts, like a bright pearl, is an important part of his ideological system.To the development of both Chinese historical science and Chinese Marxism historical science, Li Da’s historical science thoughts are of great enlightening values, which are as follows:First, we must adhere to history researches with the guidance of Marxism historical materialism, and correctly understand, apply and develop historical materialism. Second, we must adhere to the correct academic direction, and make history researches face, care and serve reality in a scientific way. Third, we must adhere to the comprehensive and correct implementation of the "double hundred policy" to avoid China Marxism historical science researches tending to be one-sided, formulated and simplified. Fourth, we must adhere to the pioneering spirit to boldly take in all excellent achievements and promote the communication between Chinese Marxism historical science and the world academy, thus to win a position for Chinese Marxism historical science in the world.Owing to the limitations of historical conditions, Li Da’s historical thoughts are never perfect. There are even some severe defects. For example, shortly after the foundation of new China, Li Da over-emphasized the Party principles in history researches and made some of his researches part of the government’s political propaganda. Nevertheless, the defects can never obscure his achievements. Li Da is undoubtedly a great founder of Chinese Marxism historical science theories and theorist of Chinese Communist Party.