Chapter 34 The Pioneer of New Historiography

Lushih's knowledge mostly comes from books, and he is not familiar with some obscure political figures in Britain, such as the Earl of Kimberley in front of him, whom he indeed does not recognize. Lushih can only remain silent, saying less to avoid mistakes. Wardhouse continued, "It seems you have heard of Winston's name. Well, of course. That guy has been showing up in left-wing newspapers a lot lately. Following this trend, he's about to become one of us in the Liberal Party."

Upon hearing this, Lushih was indeed a little surprised. The title of Earl of Kimberley was held by the colonial governor of South Africa, so much so that "Kimberley" developed into the name of a city in the northern part of South Africa and the capital of the Northern Cape Province. In theory, someone with this title like Wardhouse would support the Anglo-Boer War and support external colonial expansion. Such a person would be in the Liberal Party? Perhaps sensing Lushih's confusion, Wardhouse asked, "Find it strange?"

Lushih shook his head. "Not really. The conservatism of the Conservative Party varies, while the freedom of the Liberal Party varies."

Wardhouse was first surprised, then burst into laughter. "Good! 'The conservatism of the Conservative Party varies, while the freedom of the Liberal Party varies.' Well said, Mr. Lu. I never expected a Chinese man like you to see through both parties so clearly."

Lushih chuckled inwardly. The Liberal Party, a left-wing party, was a typical mixed bag with various factions and internal competition leading to serious infighting. Moreover, this internal competition could escalate into a vicious cycle of "freedom does not always mean absolute freedom," causing continuous internal struggles and serious internal consumption. This was one of the reasons why the Liberal Party was replaced by the Labour Party.

Wardhouse said, "So, Mr. Lu, can you guess what theme the satirical play I asked Shaw to write is?"

Lushih nodded knowingly. The current Prime Minister of Britain was Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the leader of the Conservative Party. This fellow had launched the Anglo-Boer War and implemented the policy of glorious isolation in Europe to manipulate the balance of power in Europe, making him the instigator of British meddling.

Lushih looked at Shaw. "Mr. Shaw, why would you need to do this for me?"

Shaw, a master of humor and satire, would certainly have his principles as a playwright and would be extremely repelled by the term "court writer." But unexpectedly, Shaw said, "Mr. Lu, you underestimate yourself."

This was not mere flattery. Historical research is divided into traditional historiography and modern historiography. Traditional historiography emphasizes the examination of basic cultural and historical knowledge, the objectivity of historical knowledge, the inheritance of basic cultural and historical knowledge and existing research results, the importance of basic historical materials, and rigorous logical reasoning. Modern historiography is quite different. It breaks away from the excessive emphasis on political history by traditional historiography, extends its research to various aspects such as economics, institutions, religion, geography, family, and population, broadens its research scope, and enriches its content. Moreover, modern historiography breaks through the shackles of absolute objectivism advocated by traditional historiography and recognizes the subjective initiative of individuals in historical research.

These characteristics were reflected in "Guns, Germs, and Steel". However, according to the historical process, modern historiography did not officially emerge until the First World War. So...

"I am the pioneer of modern historiography?"

Lushih was shocked. Shaw saw that he didn't believe it and hurriedly said, "That's right! This praise comes from my friend, Rudolf Gellner. He teaches at the University of Gothenburg and came all the way from Sweden just to consult with you."

Wardhouse chimed in, "We are waiting for his train. He landed in Newcastle today and should be heading this way."

Lushih was almost dizzy when he heard Rudolf Gellner's name. Gellner was the proponent of geopolitics, but he became famous not only for his theories but also for his support of aggression, becoming a cheerleader for Germany's expansion during World War II. Being consulted by such a person was a headache.

Lushih was speechless.

Seeing him silent again, Shaw became a little anxious and continued to persuade him, "Mr. Lu, you really don't have to worry about me. I've written 'The Devil's Disciple' and 'Major Barbara', which are all satirical realistic dramas."

Indeed, Shaw was not afraid to criticize British politicians. He mocked their hypocrisy and was "principled in doing things".

Lushih saw Shaw's sincerity and had to adopt a more serious attitude to refuse. "Mr. Shaw, I'm just over twenty years old, younger than many students. Standing behind the lectern is not quite my thing."

He knew his own weight. A few persuasive words were fine, but if he were to engage in teaching research, compiling textbooks, and so on, that would be troublesome.

Shaw had no objection to this proposal. "That's entirely up to you. We can't force you, can we?"

Lushih continued, "Secondly, as Mr. Shaw just mentioned, I might really need the students to help me with some work."

Shaw burst into laughter. "What's the problem with that? It's an honor for them to serve the pioneer of modern historiography."

"The pioneer of modern historiography..."

Being called that again, Lushih couldn't help blushing.

He muttered to himself, "I need to toughen up... My skin is not thick enough..."

Shaw didn't catch it and asked, "What did you just say, Mr. Lu?"

Lushih waved his hand. "Nothing. I just wanted to say that I'll definitely take the opportunity to see Mr. Shaw's plays."

Shaw waved his hand generously. "That's no problem. I'll take you there. You can sit wherever you want in the box."

Thus, Lushih's guest lecturing was settled.