The Chronology of the Pre-Qin Thinkers

Author: Qian Mu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-02-01
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 productive era, marked by outstanding achievements and a generation of renowned scholars, making it worthy of study and summary. The series "20th Century Chinese Historical Masterpieces" published by this press aims to systematically showcase the historical 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 "Chronology of Liu Xiang and Liu Xin." The former is a research on the chronology of the Pre-Qin thinkers, while the latter records the life stories of Liu Xiang and Liu Xin in a chronological narrative. "Chronological Studies of the Pre-Qin Thinkers" is one of Qian Mu's representative works. The book consists of four volumes of critical essays, totaling over 160 articles, four comprehensive tables, and three supplementary tables. Previous scholars often relied on the "Six States Table" in the Records of the Grand Historian to examine the chronology of the Pre-Qin thinkers, but the "Six States Table" contains many gaps. Qian Mu, through his research on the lost Annals of Bamboo Books from the Jin Tomb, corrected the errors in its surviving text. He then used this to rectify the inaccuracies and contradictions in the Records of the Grand Historian and its annotations. Additionally, he thoroughly 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 diverse sources, he established the chronology of the thinkers with meticulous attention to detail. 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 covers the Pre-Qin thinkers from the states of Jin, Chu, Wei, and Qi, while the fourth volume examines the lives of the two lords of Chunshen and Pingyuan, as well as Xunzi, culminating in Han Feizi and Lu Buwei. The author 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 throughout. It meticulously examines the lives, academic origins, and intellectual evolution of the Pre-Qin thinkers, providing well-supported arguments and extensive evidence.