Translation by Bowen Ran of Interpretations of History Published in China

About the book

Interpretations of History: From Confucius to Toynbee was first published in 1961 by the late philosopher Alban G. Widgery. In this work, Widgery examines the nature and significance of history through a broad cultural and philosophical lens. The book is divided into two parts. The first surveys historical thought across diverse traditions, including Chinese, Indian, ancient Greek, and Roman perspectives, as well as religious conceptions of history. The second part focuses on Western thinkers since the Renaissance, exploring their theoretical constructions and conceptual reflections on historical matters. Breaking away from the conventional Eurocentric approaches typical of mid-20th-century philosophy of history, Widgery adopts a global perspective, viewing history as a shared mode of existence. His work expands the scope of philosophy of history and offers a more inclusive, cross-cultural vision.

The book is published by Shanghai Sanlian Press, one of China’s leading academic publishers. It is part of the Guangqi New History Translation Series, named after Xu Guangqi (1562–1633), a prominent scholar-official of the late Ming dynasty who played a pivotal role in Sino-Western exchange. Xu served as a crucial intermediary between Chinese traditional culture and Jesuit missionaries, helping to introduce Western scientific knowledge into imperial China.

About the translator

Bowen Ran is a PhD candidate at the History Department. His PhD project examines the configuration of historical distance in politically engaged Anglophone historiographies from the 1960s to the 1990s, based on the historical narrative of three historians: Howard Zinn (1922-2010), E. P. Thompson (1924-1993) and Natalie Zemon Davis (1928-2023). He also works as a freelance academic translator, having translated numerous books, articles, and videos into Chinese.