Abstract:

Aristotle’s famous “opposition between history and poetry” in Poetics has a far-reaching influence on the preconception of history. Influenced by this conception, Hegel and Schopenhauer contrast historiography with poetics. Hegel denies that history can understand the internal relations and essence of things, while Schopenhauer belittles the inherent truth of history. However, the “opposition between history and poetry” is contrary to the cultural tradition of ancient Greece, and Hegel and Schopenhauer unconsciously have “historical aesthetic” insights into the relationship between history and poetry in their discussions. In China’s traditional theories of history put forward by scholars such as Liu Zhiji, Qian Qianyi, and Zhang Xuecheng, there are a large number of arguments about the close connection between history and poetry, which is not only a theoretical summary of traditional historiographic practice but also a significant inspiration for modern historians to reevaluate history.

Key words: historical aesthetics, China’s traditional theory of history, theory of history, poetics