Periodization Of History Into Ancient: So was born the periodization of history into ancient, medieval, and modern which has remained dominant in the thought of the Western World. This view of historical periodization was hardly more than implied and, indeed, did not become explicit and accepted in popular historical literature until a much later time, but the presuppositions on which it rested were clearly established in the thought of Petrarch and his followers.
The Book of Historical Documents (Shang Shu), sometimes called the Book of History (Shu Ching), consists of decrees, counsels, and admonitions of ancient kings,princes, and ministers, and other semilegendary records, attributed to a period from the dawn of history to about the 7th century B. c. In solemn, didactic prose, it portrays the thought and action of great ancient Chinese, who, it was said, having struggled with nature and learned its secrets, set moral standards by personal example, formed benevolent governments, vindicated the people against tyrants, and so became prototypes of the ideal sage to inspire the philosophical and literary mind of later ages.
In 1855 J. H. Newman, then rector of the Catholic University at Dublin, called him to the chair of geograph and modern history and later the department of English literature was assigned him. His original works comprise lectures On Subjects of Ancient and Modern History (1859) ; On Subjects of Modern History and Biography (1864) ; On the Life, Writings and Times of Edmund Burke (1869), together with poetry and translations. |
