Sima Qian not only wants us to know historical events, but also wants us to know what happened to mankind.
I often read Chang Xin's Historical Records. It is a contemporary scholar Zhao Ming's interpretation of history.
Zhao Ming's law is a generalized law, that is, the justice mentioned in the title of the book, that is, the righteous word higher than ideal. A legislator who understands the established meaning.
When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, Sima Qian was five years old, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ousted hundreds of schools and respected Confucianism alone.
When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, he went to war and looked for talented ministers.
Carrying forward the fine tradition of Confucianism, Dong Zhongshu came into being at this time.
In the author's words, Dong Zhongshu was a well-deserved legislator in the Western Han Dynasty.
Sima Qian did not record Dong Zhongshu's masterpiece. He mentioned his disaster. Being judged a fool by Dong Zhongshu's students is the stupidest nonsense.
Sima Qian made it clear that he opposed Dong Zhongshu's thought. It shows that he does not agree with Dong Zhongshu's interpretation of Confucianism.
At that time, Confucianism became a tool of politics, not that Confucianism really became popular.
It is the will of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to the strength of Confucianism. Sima Qian no longer considered the three strategies of heaven and man. Sima Qian wanted to put forward his own political opinions, so he said.
Sima Qian believes that Xuanyuan the Great, the head of the Five Emperors during the Five Emperors period, is regarded as the beginning of civilization and the deeds of different tribal leaders.
Sima Qian's stories about the emperor are all great events. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty likes the theory of immortals.
Mould the emperor into an adult, and use Emperor Wu's reverence for the Yellow Emperor to express what the emperor should look like in his mind.
Human society, from decentralized society to tribal alliance, has been written into the five emperors' commandments.
The five emperors told the story that Chiyou trapped the Yellow Emperor. Chiyou surrendered and the Yellow Emperor became the son of heaven. Sima Qian paid special attention to the continuation and inheritance of the Five Emperors.
Why did Yao pass on the throne to Shun? It shows that the continuation of the five emperors' throne is due to the emperor's virtue, not his bloodline.
Mencius believed that Shun would not bend the law. Sima Qian thought that the father was unkind and the son could not be filial, and he was not kidnapped by traditional morality, but only talked about the matter and had no influence from moral concepts. Critically reflect on the present history.
Sima Qian created the template of the ideal emperor, which can not be used by the model advocated by Confucianism. The punishment of the five emperors is the program of all punishments, and this is what legislators should look like.