论司马迁的文献批判思想

Sima Qian's thoughts on the critical use of historical sources

司马迁撰史,所涉及的史料十分广博。对经传异说和百家杂语,他考信于"六艺",或引为史实,或引为补"六艺"之缺。司马迁引录"六艺"经文、异传和杂语撰史,考信的标准则不为"六艺"。他撰写的历史,把经文、异传和杂语所述史实融为一体,在时间和空间上定位,从而建构了在经传和诸子书中均未出现的历史内容。这一历史的建构,不是依靠经文,而是依靠司马迁自己对包括经文在内的文献的考信,以及对文献的综合、判断和推理而完成的。司马迁对文献的批判,表现出鲜明的自我解释、自我证明和自我授权的历史批判思维。这一历史批判思维,贯穿于《史记》全书之中,是中国古典史学独立于经学时所表现出的最重要特点。

Sima Qian took use of a wide range of historical sources in his writing of Shiji. He examined against the Liuyi alternative traditions known in early commentaries on Confucian Classics or information in texts affiliated with a variety of other schools when quoting them either for historical facts or for information supplementary to what may be drawn from the Liuyi. The Liuyi however was not the sole criterion for judging the historicity of all sources. Sima Qian actively integrated, putting in time and space, the records in the Confucian Classics, the alternative traditions known from commentaries, and the texts affiliated with other schools so to write a history unknown to all of them. His history was not dependent on the records of the Confucian Classics,but was constructed upon his own critical re-examination, active integration, and learnt judgement of the Classics, the alternative traditions, and the texts affiliated with other schools. Sima Qian＇ s history showed the historian＇ s independent documentation, independent interpretation and also history＇ s autonomy, therefore telling Sima Qian＇ s thoughts on the use of historical sources. The thoughts were carried through along Shiji, and were characteristic of China＇ s history writing when history just became independent of confucian exegesis.