Sima Tan was a famous scholar in the early days of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and served as Taishiling during Jianyuan and Yuanfeng years. According to Records of the Historian Biography of Taishigong, Sima Tan studied Tiangong in the Tang Dynasty, received the Book of Changes in Yanghe, and taught himself Taoism in Huang. The yellow here is naturally yellow. Guangxu said in Shuo Wen Jie Zi Scholars that he was good at Huang Lao's technique. That is to say, Huang Sheng, who is good at the skill of Huang Lao, is one of Sima Tan's teachers, and Huang Sheng is a famous Huang Lao scholar who argued with Yuan Gusheng whether Tang Wu was an act of God or killed the king in front of Jingdi. Sima Tan took Huang Sheng as his teacher and made an in-depth study of Huang Lao's theory. In his famous academic paper "Six Classics", he made a comprehensive academic summary of the research on Huang Lao, which has prevailed since the early Han Dynasty. (1) should be Tao Xun. (2) Thai training. (1) Ren Yuji's History of China Philosophy? Qin and Han Dynasties, p. 249, People's Publishing House 1985. (2) Liu An compiled Lie Hong in Huainan in the second year of Jianyuan (BC 139), and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty adopted Dong Zhongshu's suggestion of respecting Confucianism in the first year of Yuanguang (BC 134). In the past, because we didn't know the true face of Huang Lao's thought, we always thought that the Taoism described by Sima Tan in Yao Zhi was the study of Taoism and Laozi. For example, Mr. Feng Youlan said: It is inappropriate for Sima Tan to say that the family "moves with the times, changes with the times, and does things according to custom". It means that doing things is easy, but doing less is more effective' ... in fact, it is' old learning'. (1) With the excavation of the silk script of Mawangdui Han Tomb and the revelation of the mystery of the Taoist thought of Huang Lao, we already know that in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, besides the Zhuangzi, there was also the Taoist theory of Huang Lao, and because the Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor integrated the strengths of Confucianism, Mohism and France, it advocated paying equal attention to civil and military affairs, punishing evil and promoting good, enforcing the law impartially and strengthening the economy. Related to this, Taoism described in Sima Tan's "The Essentials of Six Classics" contains Taoist thoughts, but most of them are talking about Huang Lao's learning, which is actually an academic summary of Huangdi's thoughts on the Four Classics. In Yao Zhi, Sima Tan first commented on the schools of Yin and Yang, Confucianism, Mohism, Ming and Fa other than Taoism, and thought that although each school had its own strengths, it also had many shortcomings. For example, the yin and yang family order is smooth at four o'clock and cannot be lost, but the technique of yin and yang is auspicious and taboo, which makes people afraid. It is not easy for Confucianism to order the ceremony of monarch, minister and father and list the differences between husband and wife. However, Confucianism takes six arts as the law, which has been circulated for millions of years. It is impossible to learn from them all the time, and it is impossible to inspect their rituals in those years. Therefore, governing the country with Confucianism is just in vain; Mohism insists on saving money and not wasting, which is an adequate way for people to give their families, but Mohism is frugal and difficult to follow, so it can't be followed all the time; Legalists are divided into upper and lower levels, which cannot be changed, but legalists should not be intimate and extremely noble. If they are divorced from the law, they will be too strict and less graceful. As for famous artists, it is necessary to observe that they are responsible for their own names and never lose their participation in the Wulin. However, it needs the criticism and attention of famous artists, which makes people have to go against their original intention, so they are determined to become famous and lose their feelings, thus making people frugal and good at distortion. Compared with the above schools, in Sima Tan's view, only Taoism is the most sophisticated and complete. Taoism not only makes people single-minded, dynamic and intangible, and supports everything, but also summarizes the main points with Confucianism, Mohism and Dharma. Therefore, governing the country can only get twice the result with half the effort. On this basis, Sima Tan also discussed Taoist art in detail. He said: Taoist inaction is also called inaction. In fact, it is easy to do, but its handwriting is difficult to understand. Its technology is based on nothingness and uses conformity. Nothing is possible and impermanent, so we can study the feelings of everything. Not for things first, not for things later, you can become the master of everything. No, it is suitable for the time, excessive, and harmonious. Therefore, as the saying goes,' sages are immortal, but change is constant'. The emptiness of the Tao is also vulgar, so it is the key to the monarch. Ministers got together to express their views. In fact, those who are in the middle of their voices are called the end, but those who are not in the middle of their voices are called the children. Don't listen, don't be born, be virtuous and unworthy, and be white and black. Your ears can't do anything. Naihe Avenue, gangsters are invisible. Glory belongs to the world and returns to obscurity. Everyone who is born is also a god, and the entrusted person is also a form. God's great use leads to exhaustion, God's physical exertion leads to exhaustion, and God's separation of body and mind leads to death. The dead cannot be resurrected, the dead are irreversible, and saints value them. From the perspective of what is, God is the foundation of life, and form is the tool of life. What's the point of saying that I have the ability to rule the world without first determining its divine form? Looking at Sima Tan's profound exposition of Taoism, in Sima Tan's view, Huang Lao's thought of Taoism teaching has the following remarkable characteristics: ① Chapter 8 of Feng Youlan's History of China Philosophy. 1, Taoist inaction, also known as Sima Tan believes that inaction is the most important political and ethical proposition of Huang Lao's study, but in Sima Tan's view, Taoist inaction of Huang Lao is not absolute and unconditional inaction, but inaction on the premise of promising, which is a way for the monarch to control his subordinates' rule, so this inaction can be called doing everything possible. First of all, Sima Tan thinks that it is timely for Huang Lao to govern by doing nothing. There is no limit, because things are in harmony with each other, keep pace with the times, respond to changes in things, and act according to customs. On this basis, the sage divides himself, white and black are the shapes, and the monarch can do nothing. Sima Tan said this kind of inaction, that is, if you want to know the gains and losses of Huangdi Neijing, you must examine the name and shape and decide your own shape. This is the more quiet I am, the more I will do the same thing, and it is the summary and generalization of my inaction. Because in Taoist Huang Lao's view, although Tao is inaction, Tao gives birth to law. Therefore, the inaction of the monarch as the bearer of Tao should also be the inaction after the formulation of the legal system, and it is a kind of inaction based on promising. Sima Tan accurately pointed out the ideological essence of Huang Lao's inaction here. Secondly, Sima Tan thinks that the inaction of Huang Lao's learning is the inaction of the monarch and the promising minister. According to the Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor, the monarch can do nothing after making laws according to the requirements of Tao, but ministers still have to follow the rules left and right before the laws can be implemented. Lie Hong, the son of Huainan, elaborated on this thought of doing nothing, and made a further summary from the academic point of view under Sima Tan, a student of Huang Sheng. Sima Tan said: Taoism does nothing, that is, it does everything ... Its technology is based on nothingness and uses conformity. He also said: the emptiness of Tao is also vulgar, so it is the key to the monarch. When ministers get together, they make themselves clear. In other words, the monarch should do nothing, because Tao is natural and natural. But this inaction is based on conformity. The so-called karma is that the monarch should not do everything himself, but be good at using and relying on ministers to deal with various political affairs. On the basis of hard work, the monarch can do nothing-sit back and relax. In this way, you are not tired, you can't open your form, and the world has been governed in an orderly manner. On the other hand, according to the requirements of Confucianism, it is believed that people dominate the world, and the Lord makes peace with the minister, and the Lord follows the minister first. In this way, the master works and the minister escapes, while the life of mortals is also divine, and the shape of the trustee is also. God's great use leads to exhaustion, God's physical exertion leads to exhaustion, and God's separation of body and mind leads to death. The shape of God can't be decided first, but he said,' I have the ability to rule the world'. Why? Thirdly, Sima Tan thinks that the inaction of Huang Lao's learning is a rule of monarch and minister. Sima Tan said: Tao makes people single-minded, dynamic and intangible, and said: Tao is inaction ... nothing and impermanence, so it can study the feelings of all things. Not for things first, not for things later, so that you can become the master of the world. Sima Tan's words are actually a summary of the so-called monarch's mastery of liegeman in the Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor. Because in the view of Taoist Huang Lao, a monarch cannot easily express his emotions, feelings and hatred, express his subjective wishes and express his political views in front of ministers. If he does this, it will lead to serious consequences: the guards deviate from justice, bend the law and follow the trend, reward improper work, punish innocence, and be eccentric. Therefore, those who govern the people do nothing and keep it, and keep it without goodness. In Sima Tan's words, this kind of kingly way is that Taoism makes people single-minded, intangible, irresistible, unpredictable, hidden, not doing things first, not doing things later, making ministers unpredictable. In this way, the monarch can study the feelings of all things, and can live and die, reward and punish according to the situation. In fact, what is in the middle of the sound is called the end, and what is not in the middle of the sound is called the slogan. If you don't listen to slogans, you will not be born. This is the master of the monarch's inaction, so you can be the master of the world. (1) Lie Hong huainan people? Main skills training. 2。 Sima Tan believes that the second ideological feature of Taoist Huang Lao is to absorb the advantages of other schools to build its ideological system of keeping pace with the times, adapting to the changes of things, establishing customs and doing everything well. First, let's look at the sum of yin and yang. Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the theory of Yin and Yang has been very popular. According to Sima Tan's explanation, the strength of the Yin and Yang family lies in their spring life, long summer, autumn harvest and winter storage. This world is a great classics, and it is blessed with no discipline, so it is said that the four seasons are great. According to this explanation, we can clearly see that Huang Laodao really absorbed the essence of the theory of Yin and Yang. The Yellow Emperor's Four Classics holds that there are yin and yang between heaven and earth, which are divided into four seasons, and the four seasons are moderate, and heaven and earth are reasonable. (1) For this kind of four seasons of heaven and earth, Huang Lao's theory requires that the ruler must obey, because obedience to life leads to success, and opposition leads to death. If we don't act according to the laws of nature, it will definitely cause serious damage to agricultural production, so it won't work. So Sima Tan said that family is due to the harmony of Yin and Yang. Secondly, let's take a look at the benefits of adopting Confucianism and ink. Sima Tan believes that the strength of Confucianism lies in the following aspects: the ceremony of husband and wife, the ceremony of father and son, the order of husband and wife, and the difference between old and young, although everything can be changed. These thoughts are the object of criticism in Laozi. For example, "Laozi" said: those who treat their husbands with courtesy are loyal and trustworthy, and the head of the chaos is also 4. However, on the basis of summing up the ruling experience since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, The Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor keeps pace with the times and changes with the times according to the new historical conditions, and holds that Yang is the main factor and Yin is the auxiliary factor. Upper yang and lower yin. Male yang and female yin, father yang and son yin. Brother Yang and Brother Yin. Longyang xiaoyin. Guiyang is cheap and cloudy. ..... make people Yang, make people Yin (1). It not only turns the meaning of Confucian monarch, minister and father and son into its own ideological essence, but also absolutes and solidifies this feudal hierarchy with monarch, minister, father and son and husband and wife as its main contents from the metaphysical point of view of Yin and Yang. Therefore, it is completely correct for Sima Tan to say that the family adopts the goodness of Confucianism. In addition to Confucianism, Taoism also adopted the goodness of Mohism. Sima Tan said that the strength of Mohism lies in its emphasis on being present and using the present, which is the way for people to support their families. Although the advantages of this Mohist school can be abolished, these ideas of Mohist school have also been absorbed into its ideological system by the Four Classics of Huangdi, and played an important role in the process of economic recovery and development in the early Han Dynasty. For example, the Four Books and Five Classics say: people are based on the earth, the earth is based on fitness, and it is suitable for the people when they are born, and the people are used for strength, and strength is used for festivals. He also said: if you don't follow the heaven, you can't save the power of the people, so you move around for nothing. He also said: If you love selflessness, people will get close to you. (2) The Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor are completely consistent with Mozi's thoughts. So Sima Tan thinks it is reasonable for Taoism to adopt Mohist goodness. (2) Lie Hong in Huainan? Main skills training. (1) Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor? Sixteen classics. (2) Sixteen Classics? In the contract. (3) Sixteen Classics? View. " (4) "Lao Zi" Chapter 38. (1) Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor? Said. " (2) See the Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor for the above quotation? Classic law. Thirdly, let's look at the essentials of naming. In Sima Tan's view, the strengths of famous artists are mainly responsible for their own names, and they have to take part in martial arts. For example, in the first chapter of Laozi, they said: a name can be named, but the naming of Laozi is related to Taoism and has no political significance. The Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor, on the other hand, put the famous theory of pursuing fame and profit into the political field, especially combined with the skills of the king to control his officials. The Four Classics hold that although the monarch can do nothing on the basis of formulating various laws and regulations and let ministers handle various specific political affairs according to law, the monarch cannot sit back and relax and do nothing once and for all. He must also listen quietly, secretly inspect the ministers' law enforcement, see if what they do is worthy of the name, and decide life and death, rewards and punishments accordingly. In other words, in the world, those who hold the Tao must judge the shape and name of things from the beginning. The shape and name have been decided, and there is a position of disobedience. There is a difference between life and death, and there is a place for life and death, and then it is involved in the eternal path of heaven and earth, which is the place that determines the fortunes. Beauty and evil are well-known, disobedience is tangible, affection is false and true, and princes rule the world. These statements in the Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor are actually the exertion of the theory that famous artists are responsible for controlling names. In addition to famous artists, Taoism is also the essence of legalism. In Sima Tan's view, the essence of legalism is: Legalists should not be close to others, and should be divorced from the law ... If you respect the subject and obey yourself, you should not exceed your responsibilities, even though a hundred scholars can change it. These thoughts of legalists are also important ideological contents of Taoist Huang Lao. At the beginning of the Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor, it says: Tao gives birth to law. Legalists lead gains and losses with ropes, and those who are straightforward are also. It is also true that the degree is right. And those who rule by law will not be chaotic. And those who give birth to statutes must not be chaotic. Gong Jing is selfless, and rewards and punishments are trustworthy, so he is also given preferential treatment. He also said: right and wrong are divided, we should judge by law, listen by silence, and mark by law. It can be seen that the essence of legalists' thought of breaking the law has been fully absorbed into their own ideological system by Huang Laodao. What about the four classics? The so-called masters in Confucian classics stand in the south. I am so respectful that I dare not cover the Lord. It's better to go up than down, and dare not cover it. Lord, minister and minister are not true, but their country is strong. Advocate degree, follow reason, and govern the country. It is also enough to explain the theme that legalists respect the Lord and subordinate ministers, and their duties during the Ming and Qing Dynasties must not be overstepped. Therefore, it is very correct for Sima Tan to say that Huang Lao is the mainstay of the family. In this way, according to the reality of historical development, Taoist Huang Lao summed up the ruling experience since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, kept pace with the times, absorbed the strengths of each family, organically combined them with their own ideological system, and made the goodness of each family an indispensable flesh and blood in their own ideological system. For example, the study of Huang Lao emphasized inaction, but in Huang Lao's inaction, he absorbed the essence of Legalism, Mohism, simplicity and frugality. Huang Lao's theory emphasizes respect for yin and yang, but this thought already contains the goodness of Confucianism; The theory of Huang Lao advocated the promulgation of corresponding political and economic policies according to the four seasons, in fact, out of consideration of the harmony between yin and yang. In this way, the study of Huang Lao has constructed an open, flexible and practical ideological system with rich ideological connotation and great inclusiveness. With this ideological system to guide practice, we can certainly do everything Sima Tan said. It is precisely because of this that the Taoist school of Huang and Lao began to flourish from the early Han Dynasty. Although in the mid-Western Han Dynasty, with the establishment of the exclusive position of Confucianism, Taoism Huang Lao began to decline, but Huang Lao's thought of scholarship was fully absorbed by Confucianism and continued to play its role. (1) Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor? Classic law. (2) Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor? Classic law.