XU Hao
Journal of Renmin University of China.
2009, (2):
123-129.
For a long time, Greek historical writing equals mythological legends and epics. However, since 6th century B.C., historical writing by Greeks begins to contain a truth-seeking spirit, which makes it into the pregnant period of historical critical method and history. Herodotus inherits this spirit and writes history with exploration and thus begins historical critical method with case study, which helps historical critical method and history into the sprout period. Then Thucydides claims that the aim of historical writing is to discover the truth and historians, in order to achieve it, historians should analyze and explain the types and values of historical materials and the principles and methods of applying them and meanwhile they should put them into practice. In this way, historical critical method has been promoted the level of methodology to which finally leads the shape of historical critical method and history. Therefore, Thucydides is the genuine father of historical critical method.