司马迁写老子

Biography of Laotzu by Sima Qian

老子在中国历史文化中的地位仅次于孔子,对于这样一位深刻影响战国秦汉政治文化学术的思想巨人,司马迁在《史记》中给予了充分的关注,他第一次为老子作传,在其他历史人物传记中多次征引老子名句,高度评价汉初黄老政治的成果,并运用老子柔弱胜刚强的人生哲学评价历史人物。

Laotzu ranks second to Confucius in the Chinese history and culture. To such a giant thinker who has exerted great influence upon the politics, the culture and the academic learning in the Warring States and the Qin and Han Dynasties, Sima Qian has devoted much space in his book Records of the Grand Scribe, which was the first time for him to write a biography of Laotzu. In his biographies of other historical figures, Sima Qian has very frequently quoted famous lines from Laotzu, has highly regarded the political achievements made by Huang Lao in the early Han Dynasty and has made evaluations of historical figures by resorting to Laotzu＇ s philosophy for life - employing tenderness to defeat the hard and strong.