中国古代史家评价历史人物的方法

中国古代在如何评价历史人物方面有着丰富的积淀 ,其基本方法是知人论世 ,具体方法是因乎时、顺乎势 ,论定功过时则用略小存大的方法 ,涉及道德评价时 ,往往同历史评价并举且加以区别对待 ,或以前者服从后者 ,力求实事求是地评价历史人物。这对于今天人们评价历史人物还是有所借鉴的

On Ancient Chinese Historian's Methods of Appraisement of Historical Characters

There are abundant legacy on how to appraise historical characters in ancient China. The essential method is to understand them in their social environment at that time. The concrete method is according to time and situation. When historians needed to judge historical characters' merits or faults, they used to leave out some small things while keeping the important ones. On moral evaluation, they often putted it on the same foundation with historical appraisement and consciously distinguished them, or made the former subject to the latter to get a practical and realistic conclusion.