从技术的角度看历史——黄仁宇“大历史”观述评

Technical Interpretation of History——Comment on the Macro-history View of Huang Renyu

“技术上的角度看历史”就是看一个国家能否按商业原则进行“数目字管理”。数目字管理的体制具有外向性和竞争性。西欧国家最先实现了这样的体制 ,使国家变成了一个公司性质的组织 ,在近现代东西方冲突中占据了上风。传统中国农业经济已十分发达 ,但一直不能实现商业化的突破 ,在漫长的中古时代社会发展陷于停滞 ,并以道德伦理代替了法律、技术作为社会组织手段与行政工具。只有近现代的数目字管理———资本主义 (即商业主义 )

Technical interpretation of history is a way of history study which tries to see whether a nation is managed mathematically in accordance with business principles. The system of mathematical management is characteristic of both extroversion and competitiveness and was first realized in western European countries, which became organizations with qualities of corporations, thus gained the upper hand in confrontations between the East and West in modern times. Though well-developed, china's traditional agricultural economy couldn't make a breakthrough in commercialization. Consequently, the social development was at a standstill in the long medieval times and as a result, morals and ethics took the place of laws and techniques as means of organization and administration. Therefore, only modern mathematical management, that is capitalism or commercialism, can find a way out.