Pre-Qin Masters' Genealogy: Another Kind

Author: Qian Mu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: As the 20th century draws to a close, Chinese historiography has undergone a century of transformation and innovation. It has been a prosperous and fruitful era, with remarkable achievements and a generation of distinguished scholars, worthy of study and summary. The series "Masterpieces of 20th-Century Chinese Historiography" published by this press aims to systematically showcase the historiographical accomplishments of the century by presenting the works of representative historians to the readers. This book includes two works by Qian Mu: Chronological Studies of the Pre-Qin Thinkers and Chronological Records of Liu Xiang and Liu Xin. The former is a research on the chronology of the Pre-Qin thinkers, while the latter records the lives of Liu Xiang and Liu Xin in a chronological style. Chronological Studies of the Pre-Qin Thinkers is one of Qian Mu's representative works. The book includes four volumes of critical essays, totaling over 160 articles, four comprehensive tables, and three supplementary tables. Previous scholars in studying the chronology of the Pre-Qin thinkers primarily relied on the Table of the Six States in the Records of the Grand Historian, yet this table contains many omissions. Qian Mu, through his research on the lost Annals of Bamboo Books discovered in the Jijun tombs, corrected the errors in the surviving version and used it to rectify the inaccuracies and contradictions in the Records of the Grand Historian's annotations. Additionally, he extensively examined the works of the Pre-Qin thinkers, cross-referencing their actions, the political affairs of the six states, dates, geographical features, and more. By comparing and verifying these sources, he established the chronology of the thinkers with meticulous evidence and detailed analysis. The original title of the book was Critical Studies of the Chronology of the Pre-Qin Thinkers. The four volumes of Critical Studies correspond to the four comprehensive tables. The first volume examines the life of Confucius and related figures, the second volume studies Mozi, Zisi, Wu Qi, and others, and clarifies the identity and works of Laozi, the third volume investigates the Pre-Qin thinkers of the states of Jin, Chu, Wei, and Qi, and the fourth volume covers the two lords, Chunshen and Pingyuan, as well as Xunzi, up to Han Feizi and Lu Buwei. The author sequentially divides the development of Pre-Qin academic thought into four stages: "Emergence," "Nurturing," "Flourishing," and "Conclusion." From Confucius to Lu Buwei, the book systematically arranges and connects the various schools of thought, maintaining a consistent thread. It meticulously examines the lives, academic origins, and intellectual evolution of the Pre-Qin thinkers, providing well-supported arguments and extensive evidence.