Inheriting and Developing:The Conjunction of Sima Qian and Dong Zhonshu in the Respect of Learning

The learning thoughts of Dong Zhongshu and Sima Qian were similar to each other in many similar and common understanding aspects. But the way to understanding was totally different. In political perspective, both the two established the theory of 'great unification', which was on the purpose of defending feudal imperial power.. Dong Zhongshu established it from Confucianism by use of historical theory and the thought of that Heaven and man respond to each other; while Sima Qian established it from the historical developing course before the primary period of Han dynasty. In historical perspective, both they two admitted the history is developing and changing. But the variability became the historical base of Doong Zhongshu's reform thought; while Sima Qian got this theory by analysis of the feature of the different steps in the course of history development. With respect to the perspective of social outlook, both they two advocated reassuring public order, whose aim was defending the rule of Han dynasty. Dong Zhongshu expounded his thought by combining Confucian theory with yin yang (female and male) and five-element theory and summing up the history phenomenon, meanwhile put it into the shell of theology; while Sima Qian formed a set of quite complete thought system and scientific thought system by use of detective method to inspect the history course, state the objective laws of the history development and his unique understanding of history development, but some of his thought content had existed in Dong Zhongshu's learning thought system in a concealed form.