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The Critical Examination of the Criticism of the Eurocentric Historiography - Centering Around Fernand Braudel

  • Korean Review of French History
  • Abbr : KRFH
  • 2007, 16(0), pp.225~254
  • Publisher : KOREAN SOCIETY FOR FRENCH HISTORY
  • Research Area : Humanities > History

EungJong Kim 1

1충남대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to examine the criticism that A. G. Frank made of the Eurocentric historiography in his book Reorient. According to this sociologist, China has been the center of the World Economy since the bronze age until around the end of 18th century. During this long period, Europe has been a poor and isolated province. With the discovery of the New Continent and the massive influx of the silver, Europe could participate in the world market. It is undeniable that the american silver strengthened the european economy, and so reduced the Chinese hegemony. So far, the arguments of A. G. Frank have nothing special. But, we cannot follow him when he explains the decline of Chine in 19th century in terms of her proper “conjoncture”, considering it not to be the result of the european force but that of the cyclic up-and-down of the chinese economy. The unscientific concept of ‘conjoncture’ justifies his prejudice that China lost the world market because of herself, and, in consequence, that she will recuperate her lost hegemony. We criticized his opinion with the help of Fernand Braudel. This eminent historian is one of the best witnesses in our favor, because he himself is considered by A. G. Frank to be eurocentric, but from our viewpoint, is not. Europe began to mount a ladder of the world market by the 13th century when she formed, for the historien, a world-economy, a self sufficient and autonomous economic space, which permitted Europe to develop without major interruptions. With the american silver and the industrialization, Europe became dynamic and competitive. She did not take the vacant space left by China. It is that she took the world hegemony by her own long effort. In fact, the argument of Fernand Braudel is no other than the usual explication that has been criticized as eurocentric. Here, for our part, we examined with critical mind the anti-eurocentrisms such as A. G. Frank’s, which seemed to us to be too systematic and nationalistic. We are sure that the eurocentrism should be criticized and overcome. But what is more important for the historian is that it is to be realized not on the ideological plane but on the historical, that is ‘factual’ plane.

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