| SiMaqQian is a special figure of historical importance in the history of Confucianism. This thesis will discuss a subject deliberately in two parts. The first part talks on the contribution that SiMaQian spread Confucianism, and the second discussed the heredity and innovation which SiMaqian did to Confucianism.The first part contains two subtitles. Under the first subtitle SiMaQian described the earliest Confucian history of china, which could be divided into three periods: the Confucianism during the Spring and Autumn times, its representative figures were: Confucius , the apprentices of Confucius , Mencius , XunZi; Qin Dynasty and Han Dynasty, its representative figures were Various scholars and studying bureaucrats. The writing of this subtitle is around two key points: first, the relationship between Confucianism and the six arts. Second, the different experiences of Confucianism in different periods. From this subtitle readers can grip the rise and fall of Confucianism through these tree times.Under the second subtitle, the author shows such facts as follows: according to Confucius key position in inheriting the kingly way which originated from the western Zhou Dynasty and his distinctive personality charm. SiMaQian broke a rule and listed him into the "Aristocratic family", In SiMaQian's works, Confucius was a propagator in inheriting and developing the ancient culture, a typical representative of intellectuals in pre-Qin Dynasty, a great man who enthusiastic in rescuing the secular life. In a word. SiMaqQian made Confucius return to his original features on a historian's standpoint.In the six sections of the second part, the author discusses the heredityand innovation made to Confucianism by SiMaQian from different respects.From the view of history, SiMaQian studied the essence between heaven and man, inherited and developed the tradition that conventional confucianists studied the essence and the principles of evolution of history by means of heaven orthodoxy. In his works, the "heaven" contained five meanings as follows: the heaven of morality; the subtle one that rationality can't seek or understand; the one of nature; the one of response and the one of power. Through his studies on heaven orthodoxy and secular life, he gave the reasons of history development a most essential explanation that the mandate of heaven was consisted with the hearts of men. "To understand the changes from ancient times to the present day" responded SiMaQian's historical view about "transform". This historical view originated from 《The book of changes》 a Confucian classis and then absorbed the gradual evolution about "increase and decrease" ,meanwhile, advocated "imitating the later king". He was influenced by "after five-hundred-year and then must be a new king springing up" of mencius and doctrine of Dongzhongshu, meanwhile, he considered history development not as a cycle. In his "understanding the changes from ancient times to the present day", he found out the unchanged spirit of kingly way of primitive Confucianism. SiMaQian inherited the tradition that the various scholars and thinkers in pre-qin times wrote books privately, developed the undertaking of Confucius in writing 《Spring and Autumn》 , then formed his personal opinion.From the view of politics. SiMaQian adopted the orthodox Confucian idea that the world should be united into one regime. He also considered that the using of military force in the course of uniting was appropriate. At the same time, SiMaQian hold that the rule of virtue should be tempered with the adoption of punishment by criminal law.When it comes to his attitude towards economic, SiMaQian made a bigprogress. He thought that benevolence and profit are of equal importance, So he wrote biographies for those famous merchants who were looked down upon by former confucianists.Another big progress made by SiMaQian is that he wouldn't distinguish the people of Huaxia. From those of minorities, and treated them all equally. He even thought that all the pe...
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