The Research On The Thought Of Respecting The Sage Of Shih Chi

Shih Chi is a biographical history book which centers in personal biography. The content is extensive and the thought is profound. In the book, Sima Qian endows he thought of "respecting the sages" to different people tactfully, and in return, the thought is manifested by the characters that Sima Qian creats which makes it penetrates throughout this book. Not only the dignitary, but also the common people are the representatives of such thought. Based on this, this thesis will be divided into five parts to discuss the thought of "respecting the sages" in Shih Chi, and further excavate the essence of this thought in this book.Chapter one, the origin of the thought of "respecting the sages". By collecting materials about respecting the sages in pre-Qin dynasty, pointing out how the thought of "respecting the sages" develops. The thought transfered from the tribal mechanism of electing sages in the ancient ages, to family hereditary in the Huangdi period, to abdication system in Yao and Shun period, to respecting the heaven and protecting the people in Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasty. It is summarized that the different expressions of the thought in different development stages and the ways that people respect sages. Therefore, the progress that how the thought develops from ancient times to the war state period is obtained which has great importance.Chapter two, the classification of sages in Shih Chi. Shih Chi is a book which centers on personal biography,therefore, the thought of respecting sages is manifested by various images in the book. In this part, the characters inShih Chi are classified into wise emperors, loyal officials, beneficial friends and virtuous women. By discussing emperors’ ways of serving the people, the character ethic of officials and so on, to further reveal the thought of sages in Shih Chi and presenting their personal charm.Chapter three, the connotation of the thought of "respecting the sages" in Shih Chi. The standards of the thought of respecting sages are different in different period. The thought of respecting sages in Shih Chi is developed by absorbing the thought in pre-Qin dynesty. It is mainly manifested by the thought of equally stressing on integrity and ability, valuing death and ability, filial piety and gratitude. Therefore, connotation of the thought of "respecting the sages" in Shih Chi is enriched, and its depth and width are extended.Chapter four, the relationship between the thought of "respecting the sages" in Shih Chi and that in pre-Qin. The material of Shih Chi dates back to six classics. In this chapter, the thought of "respecting the sages" such as virtue, ability and filial piety in Shih Chi is discussed as well as its inheritance to what it is in The Book of Songs,Zuo Zhuan, Lushi Chunqiu and so on.Chapter four, the classification of sages in Shih Chi. Because it is a biographical history book, the thought of "respecting the sages" is performed by the characters that the author creates. In this part, the sages are classified into wise emperors, loyal officials, beneficial friends and virtuous women. The thought is fully manifested by their personal charm.Chapter five, the influence of the thought of respecting the sages to the later literature. The thought of "respecting the sages" in Shih Chi is quite abundant, it can be called the mailstone of the thought of respecting the sages which exerts great influence to poetry, Chinese opera,novels and modern film and television.In conclusion, on the basis of absorbing the thought of respecting the sages of pre-Qin, it is further developed itself so that it enriches itself, and the thought plays an important role in leading the social and political development no matter in the past or in the future.