Liu Zhiji (661–721) was a historian and philosopher of the Tang Dynasty.
Styled Zixuan, he was born in Pengcheng, Xuzhou (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province). He passed the imperial examination in the Yonglong era.
He held successive positions such as Zuo Shi (Left Historian), Taizi Zhongyun (Palace Attendant to the Crown Prince), Taizi Zuo Shuzi (Left Aide to the Crown Prince) concurrently serving as a scholar of the Chongwen Academy, Yinqing Guanglu Dafu (Silver Light Glorious Feudal Lord, a high-ranking honorary official), and Zuo Sanqi Changshi (Left Imperial Censor in Attendance). He was in charge of national historiography for 30 years; although his official positions changed, his work on compiling history never ceased. His book Shi Tong (The Comprehensive Study of History), while focusing on historiography, also extends to exploring royal principles at the top and human relations at the bottom. It not only comments on historiography but also expounds historical philosophy. In his historical critiques, he adhered to the spirit of seeking truth and critical thinking, advocating the elimination of falsehoods to pursue authenticity.
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Philosophically, especially in terms of outlook on life, he leaned toward Taoism, developing Laozi's ideas of avoiding excess, knowing when to stop, retreating, and having few desires, and advocated returning to simplicity and primitivity. He said, "If kindness and frugality are lacking, one must think of the most precious teachings of Laozi" (Wei Xian Fu [Ode to the Sinew and Bowstring]).
He studied numerous historical cases of people being killed and their clans exterminated, drawing lessons from them, and believed that the fundamental lesson was to conduct oneself in accordance with Taoist thought. Its main contents are as follows:
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Establishing the values of keeping to humility, foolishness, and clumsiness, firmly believing that "nobility is not as good as humility, and action is not as good as stillness," and achieving "maintaining foolishness and nourishing clumsiness, being timid to advance and brave to retreat" (Si Shen Fu [Ode to Reflecting on Caution]).
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Taking weakness as the foundation. He believed that being aggressive everywhere, competing for honor, and seeking the limelight were extremely dangerous: "If one's conduct is superior to others, the masses will surely criticize them; if one's official position overshadows the state, the ruler will surely loathe them" (ibid.). Therefore, the safest and most reliable way is to take the opposite path of being aggressive and competitive, i.e., willingly staying in a weak position: "Understand that fullness brings loss and modesty brings benefit; verify that weakness leads to life and strength leads to death. Do not be the first to seek fortune, nor the initiator of misfortune. Moderate your diet, be cautious in your demeanor. Gather but be able to disperse; act but not rely on it. Purify your heart but make your traces appear dirty; make your exterior seem turbid but keep your interior pure. Adjust your hat even in a dark room; change your course after seeing a cart overturned" (ibid.).
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Knowing contentment and when to stop, believing that wealth and honor are like passing clouds, changing beyond recognition in an instant: "Those who are full and excessive can hardly maintain it; those who are prosperous and flourishing easily decline. In the morning, they ride in carriages with four horses; in the evening, they are killed by swords and their flesh is boiled in cauldrons" (ibid.).
He used the fates of figures like Li Si, the prime minister of the Qin Dynasty, to illustrate this point. Li Si once reached the highest position of prime minister, enjoying great wealth and honor, yet when he was about to be executed, even his request to return to his hometown as an ordinary person was denied. From this, Liu Zhiji concluded that one should be content with being an ordinary person: "Observe contentment in daily life, and abandon covetousness for unconventional promotion. Thus, wear clothes that fit one's body, eat according to one's appetite. When advancing, accept the salary equivalent to the income from farming; when retiring, live on the farmland near the city walls. Perhaps in this way, one can preserve the body given by one's parents and protect the tombs of one's ancestors. The wish of a lifetime is thus fulfilled" (ibid.). He demanded that these three points should not be shaken under any circumstances, especially warning people not to "covet life at the sight of fragrant bait, or delude themselves when in a foul environment," and to prevent "the heart of quiet retreat from slackening day by day" and "the desire for competition from increasing day by day" (ibid.).
His biography can be found in Volume [omitted in the original text] of The Old Book of Tang and Volume 32 of The New Book of Tang. He had a collection of 3 volumes, most of which are lost. Some of his works are compiled in Volume 274 of The Complete Prose of Tang. His existing main work is Shi Tong (The Comprehensive Study of History) in 20 volumes.
