Chang Hsüeh-ch'eng (1738-1801) was a Chinese scholar and historian. His ideas about historical methodology and the historical process were far more advanced than those of most of his contemporaries.

Chang Hsüeh-ch'eng was a native of China's coastal province of Chekiang. Both his father and his grandfather had been government officials, and they handed on to Chang an avid interest in history and literature, a belief in strict adherence to the principles of historical accuracy, and the conviction that one must write and teach on the basis of one's principles without regard for popular esteem. Although Chang achieved the highest civil service examination degree in 1778, he never held high office and, in fact, spent much of his life on the verge of poverty.

Philosophy of History

Chang's best-known publications are his local histories (ti-fang chih) and two major collections of his essays on historiography (Wen-shih...