Columbia University's education, journalism, arts, international affairs and other majors are very good, especially its journalism school, which awards the Pulitzer Prize in the United States. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

But when it comes to history majors, Columbia University is really not enough.

The so-called Academic Exchange Symposium on History was held at Columbia University's College of Arts and Sciences, and all history professors and lecturers from all over the university participated.

Led by a history teaching assistant, Zhou Hexuan walked into the conference room with a smile, and everyone inside collectively stood up and warmly applauded to welcome him.

It's normal to be treated with such courtesy.

Zhou Hexuan is known as a top master of history in Britain and France, where the academic level of history is extremely terrifying. And the history major of Columbia University is weak, which is equivalent to a second-rate master in the rivers and lakes, can you not be excited and excited to accept the martial arts guidance of Wang Chongyang and Huang Yaoshi?

Before the meeting, the teaching assistant introduced Zhou Hexuan one by one: "Mr. Zhou, this is Professor Stein, he is extremely proficient in the study of American history. This is Professor Woodrow, who has a unique insight into Native American history. This is Professor Wilson, an expert in the field of European history. This is ......"

Zhou Hexuan greeted everyone with a smile, and then said, "Hello everyone, I am very happy to be invited by Columbia University to come here to communicate with fellow historians. Since this is an academic exchange seminar, let's discuss the cutting-edge topics in the field of historical research. ”

Professor Wilson asked, "Is it the kind of new historiography proposed by the European school of annals?" ”

"No, it's about human civilization," Zhou said, "and I have had an exchange with Professor Toynbee in England, and I have reached a consensus on some academic viewpoints that history should be studied as a macro object, not just a nation, a country, or a period of time." This can be seen in Professor Toynbee's paper, and you can also read my book "Guns, Bacteria, and Steel". Of course, the book has not yet been published in the United States. ”

Professor Stein, who focuses on the study of American history, was completely confused when he heard this, he had no idea about it, and couldn't help but ask: "Mr. Zhou, can you tell us more about it?" ”

Zhou Hexuan said with a smile: "The basic unit for the study of human beings and the future is civilization, and according to the process of the origin, growth, decline, and disintegration of each civilization, we can understand some common laws of different civilizations. All the civilizations that have existed in the world can be divided into more than 30 civilizational mentalities, of which there are seven independent civilizations, as well as satellite civilizations subordinate to these independent civilizations. According to the common characteristics of these civilizations, they can be summarized into three main civilization models, namely, Greek civilization, that is, the model of cultural unity and political division; the Chinese model, that is, the grand unification model with reunification as the mainstay and division mixed with division; The Jewish model, that is, a discrete model with a recognizable unified culture but no political entity. ”

After hearing these words, the history professors and lecturers present here thought carefully and found that these three modes of civilization really summarize all civilizations in the world.

"It's a very creative idea." Professor Woodrow nodded approvingly.

Zhou continued: "Professor Toynbee and I both believe that the rise of civilization has nothing to do with the superiority or inferiority of race. Although the current Western civilization is strong, the white people in Europe and the United States are no more noble than the black people in Africa, and the main thing depends on the environment in which the civilization is produced. On this point, however, I disagree with Professor Toynbee. He believes that the more difficult the environment, the more the spark of civilization can be tempered. With each obstacle overcome, the civilization takes a step forward. I partially agree with him, but I think there should be prerequisites, such as climate and geography, and it is impossible to develop a high civilization in the Arctic Circle. Europe and Asia were able to give birth to splendid civilizations only if the latitude was suitable for agriculture and had domesticable animals and plants. ”

Woodrow, an expert on Native Americans, asked, "Then why are the primitive civilizations of the Americas now dying?" ”

Zhou Hexuan said with a smile: "I have elaborated on this problem in the book "Guns, Bacteria and Steel". The Americas are vertical continents, and changes in latitude caused huge climatic differences, which made it difficult for early agriculture to develop and spread, such as the spread of corn in the Americas for thousands of years. Today's California agriculture is developed, but it relies on modern agricultural technology, and a thousand years ago, with California's natural environment, it was impossible to rise a strong agricultural civilization. ”

When the keyword "vertical continent" was spoken, coupled with Zhou Hexuan's simple explanation, Woodrow, who has studied Native Americans for many years, had a flash of inspiration and couldn't help but exclaim: "Oh my God, why didn't I think of this factor?" This is truly an amazing find. With this academic achievement, you can win the Pulitzer Prize in history! ”

Pulitzer has won not only journalism, literature, but also history.

Journalism prizes are awarded to all nationalities, but the winning work must be published in American newspapers and magazines, and the literary prize is awarded only to Americans, neither of which Zhou Hexuan can win.

The Pulitzer Prize for History is the only one, and as long as the subject of the work is the United States, or has made significant contributions to the study of American history, people from any country can win the prize.

Professor Woodrow really didn't say nonsense, and the historiographical view of "vertical continents" alone was enough to win the Pulitzer Prize for history, because it was a major breakthrough and enlightenment for the study of the history of the Americas.

Columbia University, which happens to be the issuing body of the Pulitzer Prize, as long as "Guns, Bacteria and Steel" is published in the United States, then next year's Pulitzer Prize in history is likely to be awarded to Zhou Hexuan.

In the face of a group of historians who are not top-notch, Zhou Hexuan's various cutting-edge historiographical views can be said to have made them stunned and shocked.

The entire academic exchange meeting lasted for three and a half hours, and at first it was mainly Zhou Hexuan who was expounding, but later it became a history professor who raised various questions, and Zhou Hexuan answered them in a few words.

This is not only the crushing of knowledge, but also the crushing of the times. Perhaps, in the 21st century, high school students with better history scores can talk and laugh with these historians, so that they can open their eyes in the field of historical research.

After the meeting, Zhou Hexuan smiled and took out the Chinese version of "Guns, Bacteria and Steel" and said: "I will present this book to the College of Arts and Sciences of Columbia University, and you can ask someone to translate it into English." ”

The teaching assistant carefully put away the book, and looked at Zhou Hexuan's eyes full of respect.

Historians got up one after another and took the initiative to run to shake hands with Zhou Hexuan, and their enthusiastic looks looked like they were looking for him to sign autographs.

As it turned out, President Butler's decision to invite Zhou Hexuan as a visiting professor at Columbia University was a very wise decision. Columbia University, which originally had a mediocre history major, took the lead in in-depth exchanges with Zhou Hexuan, and its academic achievements improved rapidly.

Half a year later, Guns, Germs, and Steel was translated and published, and Columbia became the first American university to offer "Historical Anthropology." Professors Stein and Woodrow, who were originally experts in American and Native American history, have since become experts in historical anthropology and are well-known in the field of world history.

In particular, Professor Woodrow told reporters in an interview in his later years: "The turning point of my academic career came from an exchange with Mr. Zhou Hexuan, who broadened my horizons in historical research, and he can be called my mentor." ”

The morning is an academic exchange meeting, and the afternoon is a lecture event for all students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

What made Zhou Hexuan cry and laugh was that there were many students majoring in finance and economics who came to listen to the lecture, and they all came to admire the name of "Far Eastern Wizard".

In the free question session, the questions asked by the students were all about the stock market crash and the economic crisis, and some even asked for advice on how to short US stocks.

A good history lecture was messed up by these finance students, which caused great dissatisfaction among the history students, and the two sides quarreled in the classroom.

In the afternoon, Zhou Hexuan left under the help of Professor Butler, and the next day boarded a ship bound for Europe.

What Zhou Hexuan didn't know was that the news that he had been shortlisted for both the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Goncourt Prize for Literature was being widely reported by Chinese newspapers, and the country had already fried the pot.