范文瀾與吳承仕：早期中國馬克思主義史家的世代變遷

Abstract

今日被中國大陸史學界譽為馬克思主義史學大師的范文瀾，實際上應用馬列主義理論以從事史學著述的始點，為其遲至對日抗戰期間才撰寫的《中國通史簡編》。由於該書大獲成功，此後經過不斷修訂，成為延安史學的一面旗幟。就范氏個人追求並信仰馬列主義的歷程而言，此一「後五四」時代的發展理所當然，純屬再合理也不過之事。然而，另一方面，人間萬事於合理性之外仍有偶然性，非由後設之目的論所能解釋。身為章太炎弟子的老輩耆宿吳承仕，與范文瀾擁有相似的教育背景，國學素養深厚。加入中國共產黨之後，他在思想意態方面也有著同樣可謂為「從煩惱到快樂」的歷程。況且，吳氏不但年齒較長，資望更勝范氏一籌。若非其人意外早亡，中國馬克思主義史學史或將別具一番面貌。本文於考述史實之餘，應用韋伯（Max Weber）之「客觀可能性」（objektive Möglichkeit）與「適當的起因造成」（adäquate Verursachung）等概念，對於章太炎再傳弟子范文瀾代替吳承仕而出線的歷史實然，試圖做出一番兼顧理論與實際之因果解釋。

Fan Wen-lan has been regarded as one of the greatest Chinese Marxist historians since the founding of PRC. However, the time when he did apply historical materialism to his work A Brief General History of China was as late as in the early 1940s. Due to the overwhelming popularity of this masterpiece, Fan became the standard-bearer of Yan`an revolutionary historiography. This paper suggests that we should not explain this whole process in terms of some kind of teleology with hindsight. There were indeed alternative leading scholars who have an advantage over Fan Wen-lan, such as Zhang Binglin`s disciple Wu Cheng-shi. Parallel to Fan`s intellectual development towards Marxism, Wu had an extremely similar line of progress. If Wu had been survived to arrive in Yan`an, the historiofrapical landscape would be completely different. In the present article, Max Weber`s concepts ＂objective probability＂ and ＂adjective cavsation＂ serve as intellectual tools probing into the question in dispute.