Since the 18th-century — the age of English historian Edward Gibbon — Western theories of history have held that the past consists of causes, effects and events; there are no determining laws or theorems, and no divine purpose. This is the opposite of the view held by the classic Chinese historians, who saw history as preordained but manageable by decree; its purpose was to legitimize the current dynasty. The "Kojiki" is closer to this view of history — a past that can be used to validate the present.
The Kojiki: An Account of Ancient Matters, by O no Yasumaro