Abstract: The English School which is open but at the same time close to some scholars composed of the classic and critical theorists’. There exists a deep-rooted tension between European experiences derived from the English Schools' academic theories and the world history aimed at by the school It is this kind of tension that forms the seemingly contradictory academic close-open trait in terms of definition of schools, generation of the theories and transmission of theories. But it is, in fact a rational paradox and becomes a universal characteristic of the English School for the concept of closeness which emphasizes on the self-discipline and larruping features of the English School while the concept of the openness emphasizes on the comprehension and criticism of the school. A rational paradox may be the “foreordination” of any academic community with distinctive characteristics.

Keywords: European experiences; world history; English School; closeness; openness

[Jilin University Journal Social Sciences Edition, 2007(2)]