"Chunqiu Zhengzhi" (《春秋正旨》) is a one-volume work authored by Gao Gong, a prominent figure during the Ming Dynasty. Gao Gong, whose courtesy name was Sùqīng, was a native of Xinzheng. He passed the imperial examinations in Jiajing 38 (1559) and held high-ranking positions, including Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary of the Zhongji Hall. He was posthumously honored with the title "Wenxiang." His biographical details are recorded in the Ming History.

The compilation of "Chunqiu Zhengzhi" was driven by Gao Gong's critique of the interpretations of the Spring and Autumn Annals that had been prevalent since the Song Dynasty. He believed that these interpretations were often speculative and misleading, failing to genuinely honor the sage Confucius and to elucidate the principles of the text. Gao Gong sought to return to the original intent of the Spring and Autumn Annals, correcting the errors and misconceptions that had developed over the centuries.

The work begins by asserting that the Spring and Autumn Annals' purpose is to clarify the principles of a righteous ruler, not to assume the powers of a sovereign. It then argues that Confucius would not have altered the calendar from the Zhou system to the Xia system. Gao Gong also emphasizes that the text's reliance on the historical records of the State of Lu is due to the preservation of Zhou rituals, not because Lu was a descendant of the Duke of Zhou.

Further, he explains that the absence of the term "Heaven" in reference to the king is simply a variation in style, and the demotion of the Duke of Teng to a lesser rank was a decision of the reigning king, not a judgment by Confucius. Gao Gong strongly refutes the notion that Confucius recorded the return of the lands of Yun, Huan, and Guiyin as a personal achievement, criticizing Hu An'guo's interpretation that Confucius placed himself in the position of Heaven.

Gao Gong also clarifies that the Spring and Autumn Annals were compiled in the fourteenth year of Duke Ai, the year before Confucius's death. The appearance of the qilin (a mythical creature) was a coincidental event, not a divine sign that inspired the text. He argues that among the commentaries, Zuo Qiuming's is the most accurate, while Hu An'guo wrote his in response to contemporary issues. He contends that the myriad of other interpretations stem from a misunderstanding of the phrase "the affairs of the Son of Heaven."

Gao Gong's arguments are clear and straightforward, effectively addressing the persistent errors in the interpretation of the Spring and Autumn Annals. Despite its brevity, "Chunqiu Zhengzhi" is a work of significant importance, capturing the essence of the Spring and Autumn Annals-related principles and standing out among the works of other scholars.

References

• 《四庫全書總目提要·卷28 經部·春秋類三》

《春秋正旨》

《春秋正旨》是明代高拱所著的一部經學著作，共一卷。高拱，字肅卿，河南新鄭人，嘉靖年間辛丑科進士，曾任吏部尚書、中極殿下學士，諡號文襄。其生平事跡詳見《明史》本傳。

《春秋正旨》的編纂目的，在於糾正宋元以來《春秋》學者穿鑿附會之弊，指出他們欲尊崇聖人而未能真正尊崇，欲闡明《春秋》筆法而未能真正闡明。高拱通過探究《春秋》的本意，批評了前人的誤解，提出了自己的見解。

全書開篇論述《春秋》旨在彰顯天子的正義，並非以天子的賞罰權力自居。其次，高拱指出孔子不會擅自更改周朝的正朔而採用夏朝的曆法。再者，孔子託名魯史，是因為魯國尚存《周禮》而非因其為周公之後而借其名。此外，高拱認為《春秋》中不稱天子為天，乃是偶然的異文，而滕侯稱為子，乃因當時被王所黜，聖人絕無貶黜天子、降封諸侯之事。接著，高拱批評胡安國《春秋傳》中將孔子自書其功視為天子之位，指出其誤。再者，高拱論述《春秋》作於魯哀公十四年，即孔子去世的前一年，恰好遇見獲麟之事，因此記載，而非因感麟而作，《春秋》亦非因應《經》而來。最後，高拱認為左氏傳《春秋》最為詳盡，胡安國之傳則因激憤而作，其他各家的紛爭皆源於對「天子之事」一詞的誤解。

高拱的論述明白正大，能破除《春秋》學者的痼疾，雖卷帙不多，但大義凜然，深得《春秋》本意，遠超諸儒之見。