Against all heterogeneities: Guo Songtao and the view of culture competition

Historical materials are certainly the product of subjective construction, and the past records of disasters do belong to constructed discourses about disasters, but this construction itself is a real thing – a response of human beings to a particular disaster. The historical narrative of ecological history thus can stimulate both scientific reflection on history and deepen human contemplation on life and nature. The global ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic have already advanced and are bound to continue to advance the study of disasters all over the world. Because historical research in particular is likely to be reduced to a subordinate and marginal role within emerging disaster research, Xia believes that researchers on disaster history should conduct explorational research, build historiographic narratives, and meet the needs of the time. In this sense, Professor Xia’s book may provide much-needed insight for the current situation.