新资本主义史与美国史研究的新趋向--再论《棉花帝国》

The New History of Capitalism and the New Trends in American History:A Discussion Based on Beckert's Empire of Cotton

(新)资本主义史是当代美国史学研究的一个新兴前沿领域,近年来已经涌现出了大量论著,其中哈佛大学贝克特的《棉花帝国:一部全球史》一书影响最大,被视为该领域的主要代表作。该书旨在以棉花商品的全球史为例重新解释资本主义的发展,探讨资本主义史的本质,并着重强调乡村、奴隶制、暴力、国家在全球资本主义的兴起和发展过程中的重要作用。新资本主义史研究的兴起代表了当代美国史研究的最新和最重要的一种转向,但其中的一些研究方法也受到了经济学家等学者的质疑和挑战。

The(new)history of capitalism is an emerging subfield of history,especially in the United States.Many monographs and articles have been published in the past few years,among which Sven Beckert's Empire of Cotton:A Global History is the most influential.This book intends to reinterpret the development of global capitalism by focusing on the history of cotton.Beckert attempts to provide a new interpretation of the rise and development of global capitalism by emphasizing the roles of countryside,slavery,violence,and the state.While the rise of the(new)history of capitalism signals one of the most remarkable turns in the field of American history,it will encounter some challenges from some other scholars,especially economic historians.