Bab 278: The Clash of Two Historical Perspectives
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"Heroes and Wise Kings?"
Paul was a bit surprised.
"Exactly! Only strong heroes and wise kings can lead the people to victory. This has been proven countless times at critical turning points in the vast expanse of history."
Mond Landon smiled as he shared his views, but he soon noticed Paul's expression, which was neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"What's the matter, Earl Grayman? Do you disagree with this perspective?"
Paul smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's not that I disagree. I'm not a historian, so I don't have my own conclusions in this area. But I have heard of a view that is completely opposite to yours."
"Oh? Please elaborate."
"Let's call your view, that only heroes and wise kings can lead the people to victory, the 'Heroic Perspective of History.'"
Mond nodded, "Hmm, that term is quite fitting."
Paul continued, "And I've heard from others about a 'People's Perspective of History.'"
Now it was Mond Landon's turn to be surprised. "People's Perspective of History? What's that all about?"
Paul thought for a moment, then decided to directly quote the phrase he had heard: "The people, and only the people, are the driving force behind the creation of world history."
To Paul's surprise, Mond didn't immediately show opposition but instead looked intrigued. "Where does this perspective come from?"
Paul countered with a question, "Then how did your 'Heroic Perspective of History' form?"
"Isn't it obvious? Let's not talk about the mythical era, which is too vague and lacks credible historical records. We'll focus on the ancient Bela Empire as an example. Before its establishment, humanity was under pressure from all sides by various alien races. It was under the leadership and conquests of Emperor Leon that the greatest empire in human history was born. The brilliant Emperor Leon led the human armies to resist wave after wave of invasions from alien races. Following that, the Bela Empire was governed by five successive wise kings who diligently worked to build up the empire's overwhelming strength compared to the alien races. Finally, under the command of famous generals like Arian, humanity launched a counteroffensive against the aliens. From then on, the orcs retreated to the plains, the dwarves sought refuge in the mountains, and the elves hid deep in the forests. If you study history carefully, you will find that during this process, figures like Leon and Arian, who represent the best of humanity, played an enormous role. Without them, we wouldn't have humanity's current status, nor would we have those grand and magnificent histories."
Mond spoke passionately, ending with an emphasis: "This is widely acknowledged by historians."
Paul nodded, "Yes, that's true. I've also carefully read the history of the ancient Bela Empire and the heroic deeds. But have you ever considered that those heroes were merely making the right choices at critical historical junctures? And it was the countless ordinary people at the bottom who provided them with numerous options."
Seeing Mond's incredulous expression, Paul emphasized, "I must reiterate, this is something I've heard from others as well." He didn't want to come across as too unconventional.
Paul continued, "The reason the Bela Empire was able to unify humanity was not just because the nobles at the top, but also because the masses at the bottom longed for a stronger collective to protect them in the face of the alien threat. Apart from the threat of aliens, there were many other important factors, such as the development of agriculture requiring the construction of large-scale projects, and the development of commerce opening up extensive roads. However, each faction believed that they should be the ones to accomplish this, and Emperor Leon happened to be the strongest among them, so it was only natural for him to achieve unification. Of course, his strength was also inseparable from the support of the people under his rule."
"And as for the Bela Empire's counteroffensive and great expeditions against the aliens, it was because the empire nourished an increasing population, inevitably requiring more land to sustain itself. This expansion wasn't just due to the foresight of emperors and generals, but also driven by second sons with no inheritance rights and soldiers eager to gain wealth. These groups collectively pushed for the great expeditions, even becoming the primary driving force behind them. The entire society developed a desire for expansion."
Mond thought for a moment and said, "This only explains the causes, and many, including myself, agree with these reasons. But when it comes to the results—such as the victories in the expeditions—heroes are the decisive factor."
Paul shook his head, "According to the People's Perspective of History, heroes should be secondary. Take the great expeditions as an example. The main factors determining victory were not the outstanding military talents of Arian and others, but rather the empire's ability to smelt more metal, forge more weapons, produce more food, and organize more disciplined armies. Moreover, the centralized system of the agricultural society gave the human army an incomparable advantage over the loose tribal alliances of the alien races. Without these factors, even with divine blessings, Arian and the others wouldn't have been able to achieve victory. And how were these factors produced? By countless farmers, craftsmen, and soldiers whose names have not even been recorded in the annals of history. But history only remembers the names of those in power, and thus, wise kings and heroes were born."
Mond exclaimed, "This is the first time I've heard a perspective that so downplays the role of heroes."
"No, scholar, you're mistaken!" Paul quickly denied it. "This isn't about downplaying them. Their talents are undoubtedly outstanding, their achievements unquestionably great, and their names undoubtedly worthy of remembrance by future generations—but they are not irreplaceable."
"From a macro perspective, history seems full of inevitability. Humanity, having mastered advanced technology and experienced a leap in productivity, would inevitably give birth to a centralized empire. And a thriving empire would inevitably develop a desire for expansion. Heroes just happened to be in the right place at the right time. If it wasn't Emperor Leon, or if it wasn't Arian and other famous generals, then someone else would have taken their roles and fulfilled the mission that history had assigned."
Just as even without him traveling here, the industrial revolution would inevitably occur as productivity advanced; his arrival merely accelerated the process.
Mond stiffened, wide-eyed, and said, "History is inevitable? This sounds like something those priests from the Church would preach—that the Lord of Light has already arranged everything."
Seeing Mond's expression, Paul's vanity was greatly satisfied. He didn't expect that some random bits of information he had picked up from the internet in his previous life would actually shock a scholar from the Tower of Scholars.
He continued, "To be specific, history is inevitable in the grand scheme of things, but when it comes to individual events, there's more room for chance. However, chance only serves to accelerate or delay the process. Heroic figures can, to some extent, advance or delay the course of history, but they cannot change its direction. The 'Heroic Perspective of History' dominates the mainstream narrative for a reason as well. The authors of historical records unconsciously focus on heroes when writing their accounts. After all, given the limitations of the medium, they cannot record the names and deeds of everyone, so they only highlight those who were especially prominent and outstanding. And readers who delve into these historical accounts are more likely to identify with the deeds of heroes, inevitably developing a sense of admiration. But if the records were about dissecting social systems or explaining production relations, it would feel dull and tedious, and many people would skim through it."
After listening, Mond was silent for a long time. He wanted to refute it, but he also felt that, from certain aspects, Paul was correct.
"Even so... fine. What you said—or rather, this perspective—has some merit."
In the end, Mond had to concede that his worldview had been slightly shaken today.
(End of the Chapter)
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