Chapter 278 The collision of two historical views
“Heroes and wise kings?”
Paul was a little surprised.
"Yes! Only strong heroes and wise kings can lead the people to victory. The major turning points in the vast history have confirmed this point countless times."
Mond· Langdon smiled and expressed his opinion, but he soon saw Paul acting noncommittal.
"What? Count Grayman, don't you agree with this point of view?"
Paul smiled and waved his hand and said: "It's not that I disagree. I am not a scholar of history, and I have no experience in this aspect. Conclusion. But I have heard others say the opposite point of view to you."
"Oh? Please elaborate on this."
" The view that only heroes and wise kings can lead the people to victory is called the "Heroic View of History"
Mond nodded: "Well, this term is quite appropriate."
Paul continued: "And I have heard a [people's view of history] from others."
This time it was Mond Langdon who was surprised: "The people's view of history? What kind of statement is this? ?”
Paul thought for a while, and finally copied the sentence exactly: “The people, and only the people, are the driving force for creating world history.”
It was beyond Paul’s surprise. Unexpectedly, Mond's face did not immediately show opposition, but curiosity: "Where does this view come from?"
Paul asked: "Then what is your [heroic view of history]? What is formed? ”
"Isn't this an obvious thing? The mythical age is illusory and there is no credible historical data, so let's not talk about it for now. Let's take the ancient Bella Empire as an example. Before its establishment, human beings were under pressure from foreign races from all directions. It was under the leadership and conquests of Emperor Li Ang that the greatest empire in human history was born. The talented and resourceful Emperor Li Ang led the human army to resist waves of alien invasions. After that, the Bella Empire experienced successive waves. After five generations of wise kings worked hard to govern, they accumulated overwhelming strength compared to the aliens. Finally, under the command of many famous generals headed by Elyan, humans began a major counterattack against the aliens. From then on, the orcs fled to the grasslands and the dwarves fled to the mountains. , while the elves are hidden deep in the forest. As long as you study history carefully, you will discover how important the role of these admirable outstanding figures, represented by Leon and Elyan, is in this process. Huge. Without them, we would not be where we are now, nor would we have such magnificent history."
Mond said so much in one breath, and finally emphasized: "This is recognized by the historians."
< br>Paul nodded: "Well, that's right. I've also read carefully about the history of the Gubera Empire and the heroic deeds. But have you ever thought about it, those heroes were just at key historical nodes? They just made the right choice. And it is the people at the bottom who can provide them with many options." Looking at Mond's incredulous look, Paul emphasized: "I declare again, this is also supported by others. Come here." He didn't want to be too unique.
Paul continued: "The reason why the Bella Empire was able to achieve the unification of mankind is because under the threat of alien races, not only the nobles above, but also the vast number of people at the bottom also longed for There is a more powerful collective to provide shelter for itself. Apart from the threat of aliens, there are many important reasons, such as the development of agriculture requires the construction of large-scale projects, and the development of commerce opens up roads that extend in all directions. It should be completed by himself. Emperor Li Ang happens to be the most powerful among the many forces, so it is logical for him to complete the unification. Of course, his strength is also inseparable from the support of the people under his rule. "
"And the Bella Empire's counterattack and great expedition against the aliens were because the empire nourished an increasing population and inevitably needed more land to feed it. It was not only the foresight of the emperor and famous generals, but also those who had no inheritance rights. The second son and the soldiers eager to obtain wealth also jointly promoted the Great Expedition, and were even the main promoters. The entire society developed a desire for expansion. "
Mond said thoughtfully: "This is just an explanation of the causes. Many people, including me, agree with these. But the result - such as the victory of the expedition, the hero is the decisive factor."
Paul shook his head: "Uh... According to the people's view of history, heroes should take a back seat. Taking the Great Crusade as an example, the main factor that determines victory is not the outstanding military talents of Elyan and others, but because the empire can smelt more metal. , create more weapons, produce more food, and form more disciplined armies. Moreover, the centralized system produced by agricultural society is compared with the loose tribal alliances of aliens... In short, various factors give the human army invincibility. Comparative advantages, without these, Elian and others would not be able to win even if they have the blessing of the gods. How did these factors come about? It is the countless farmers, craftsmen and soldiers who have not even left a name in the long history. But history only records the names of the superiors, so the wise kings and heroes were born."
Mond said in surprise: "This is the first time I have heard such contempt for heroes."< br>
“No, Mr. Scholar, you are wrong!” Paul quickly denied: “This is not to belittle them. Their talents are undoubtedly outstanding, their achievements are undoubtedly great, and their names are undoubtedly worthy of being remembered. People commemorate - but they are not irreplaceable,"
"From a macro perspective, history seems to be full of inevitability. After humans have mastered advanced technology and made great leaps in productivity, they will inevitably give birth to a centralized empire, and an increasingly prosperous empire will inevitably have the desire to expand. The heroes just happen to be in that position. Position, if there is no Emperor Liang, if there are no famous generals such as Elyan, then their roles will be played by another group of people to complete the mission given by history.”
Just like even if he did not travel here, With the development of productivity, there will inevitably be an industrial revolution, and his arrival only catalyzed this process.
Mond's body stiffened and he stared firmly as he said: "Is history inevitable? This sounds like what the church's gang of stickmen preached. The Lord of Light has already arranged everything."
Seeing the other party's appearance, Paul's vanity was greatly satisfied. He never expected that some of the messy clips he saw on the Internet from his previous life would shock a scholar in the Bachelor's Tower.
He continued: "To be specific, history is inevitable in the macro direction, but when it comes to a specific event, it is more accidental, but chance only plays a role in accelerating or delaying. Heroic figures To some extent, their actions can advance or delay the development process of history, but they will not change its direction. The reason why the "heroic view of history" has become mainstream is inevitable. Writers of historical books will unconsciously focus on heroes. After all, the narrative is limited by the recording method. It is impossible to write down everyone's names and events. It can only record those who are particularly outstanding and outstanding. Readers who look through these historical materials are more likely to be able to relate to the deeds of heroes. However, if it is an analysis of social systems and introduction to historical materials such as production relations, it will feel boring, and many people will skip it. ”
Mond was speechless for a long time after hearing this. He wanted to refute, but he felt that in some respects, what Paul said was correct.
"Although...well, what you said...oh no, there is some truth to this statement."
Finally Mond had to say this, today his world view has been affected A little kick.
(End of this chapter)