美國歷史學家卡爾·貝克爾的著名口號"人人都是他自己的歷史學家",是當代西方史學理論由實證主義轉向相對主義的標識性宣言,代表的是絕對的相對主義歷史觀。貝克爾錯誤地處理事件與事實、記憶與事實的關系,通過分割客觀歷史與主體對客觀歷史的認識而拋棄客觀性,認定歷史是想象的歷史,形成絕對的相對主義理論惡果。歷史是事實,不是想象;歷史是關于國家、民族以至人類社會發展大勢及一般規律的事實與確證,而非碎片化的個人經歷和記憶。歷史大勢由三個方向構成:決定或影響歷史進程的事件;人類及民族社會的生存狀態;歷史發展的一般規律。對歷史的實證研究必不可少,但歷史研究的根本意義是把握歷史大勢、發現歷史規律,為當下人的行動指明未來。歷史的伸張是事實的伸張、規律的伸張。歷史的強制闡釋背離歷史事實,顛覆事實基準,以前置立場和模式,對歷史作符合論者前置結論的闡釋。湯因比的歷史文明體系模式、以既定的場外理論強制粗暴地對歷史本體的研究、以文學話語強制歷史真實,是強制闡釋歷史的主要表現。對任何場外理論的應用,都要有限度規約。必須清醒辨析文學性的歷史文本和歷史性的文學文本。強制闡釋的歷史不是歷史。

The American historian Carl Becker’s famous slogan"Everyman His Own Historian"is an iconic declaration of the turn from positivism to relativism in the contemporary theory of Western historiography.It represents an absolute relativistic view of history.Becker deals incorrectly with the relationships between events and facts and between memory and facts;abandons objectivity by separating objective history from the subjective understanding of the objective history;and claims that history is the history of imagination,bringing about the unfortunate development of absolute relativist theory.History is fact,not imagination;history is about a nation,apeople and even the development of human society as well as the facts and evidence of general laws,rather than fragmented personal experiences and memories.The great trend of history is made up of three directions:the events that determine or influence the historical process;the state of life of the human race and national society;and the general laws of historical development.Empirical study of history is indispensable,but the fundamental significance of historical research is to grasp the trend of history,to discover the laws of history,and to indicate the future for the actions of contemporaries.The unfolding of history is the unfolding of facts and laws.Imposed interpretations of history deviate from historical facts,subvert factual benchmarks,and interpret preconceived historical conclusions with set positions and patterns.Toynbee’s model of historical civilizations,studies that treat ontological history heavy-handedly using established theories from other disciplines,and the erroneous belief that literary discourse can be used as historical discourse,are the main characteristics of imposed interpretations of history.The application of any theories from other disciplines should be limited.It is necessary to clearly distinguish between literary historical texts and historical literary texts.Imposed interpretations of history are not history.