以天统君,以儒治国——《汉书》思想史价值发覆

The Mandate of Heaven and Confucian Rule:Exploring Ideological History in The Book of the Han

《汉书》是班固记载西汉帝王诸侯贵族事迹和制度典章的断代史。它取法《春秋》,在历史叙事中寄托褒贬之意,“综其行事”的同时“旁贯《五经》”,不仅是西汉思想史的实证记录,也是东汉前期史家的思想反映。《汉书》体现的史家主体思想,是“天授”与“人力”两顾,“准天地,统阴阳”而“穷人理”“缀道纲”,进而以儒道为天道治天下,达到长治久安。这在《叙传》和《艺文志》中有明确表述。《帝纪》所载西汉十二帝王行迹,均贯穿着敬天保民、以儒治国的政治思想。在具体论述中,《郊祀志》《天文志》《五行志》主“天授”,侧重记叙祭神典礼及尊天敬神的迷信思想,《食货志》《艺文志》《刑法志》及诸《表》主“人力”,侧重记录西汉保障民生、发展经济、德主刑辅、封王建侯的制度演变和思想实践。其中,《表》《序》对西汉封建制恢复与改良的完整记载与系统析论,是我们全面、准确理解封建制对于维护中央皇权利弊得失的重要依据。

The Book of the Han(《汉书》),authored by Ban Gu(班固),serves as a dynastic history chronicling the lives of emperors,princes,and nobles of the Western Han Dynasty(202 BC-8 AD),while also outlining its systems and regulations.Modeled after The Spring and Autumn Annals(《春秋》),it combines praise and critique within its historical narrative.This work not only documents the ideological landscape of the Western Han but also reflects the early Eastern Han(25 AD-220 AD)historians’thoughts.The central idea embodied in the book is the attempt to balance the“Mandate of Heaven”and“what is humanly possible”in governance.Historians sought to unify the yin and yang,uphold Confucian ethics,and establish Confucianism as the guiding principle for ruling the world and achieving long-term stability.This philosophy is explicitly articulated in Afterward and Family History(《叙传》),as well as in Treatise on Literature(《艺文志》).A consistent theme throughout the accounts of the twelve Western Han emperors in Annals of the Emperors(《帝纪》),is the political philosophy of respecting heaven and protecting the people through Confucian governance.Specific discussions in Treatise on Sacrifice(《郊祀志》),Treatise on Astronomy(《天文志》),and Treatise on the Five Elements(《五行志》)underscore the importance of the“Mandate of Heaven,”particularly regarding sacrificial rituals and the reverence for divine forces.In contrast,Treatises on Foodstuffs(《食货志》),Treatises on Literature,Treatises on Punishment and Law(《刑法志》)as well as the Chronological Tables focus on the practical aspects of“what is humanly possible,”safeguarding livelihoods,developing the economy,and instituting a system of morality-centered justice system.The detailed record and analysis of the restoration and improvement of the feudal system in the Western Han Dynasty,as presented in Prologue of the Tables,provide valuable insights into the advantages and disadvantages of this system in maintaining central imperial authority.