《宽容与执拗》内容简介

　　本书以北宋著名史学家、政治家、一代大儒司马光的成长轨迹、人生经历、社会活动为核心，讲述了其生命所跨越的自真宗、仁宗、英宗、神宗至哲宗这五个朝代的历史变迁，以及与其休戚相关的北宋政坛上如王安石、范仲淹、欧阳修、包拯、苏轼兄弟等巨星们的互动、恩怨与纠葛。

　　司马光究竟是谁？是宋人眼中恤民爱民的司马丞相，还是当代人悉知的顽固的守旧派、王安石变法的死对头？是古代孝子的典范、温和敦厚的友人，还是坚刚勇毅的台谏官、保守稳健的改革者？是私德高尚的政治家、名垂史坛的文正公？还是充满局限的大儒、宽容政治的掘墓人？虽然时代赋予了他诸多标签，但隔着千年历史，他在当代人认知中的形象与面目依旧遥远又模糊，甚至古往今来对他的解读多少带有一些暧昧或偏见。

　　北京大学宋史专家赵冬梅教授以多年宋史研究积淀为依托，自司马光的家世渊源追溯而起，将其初入仕途至崭露头角，再至成为股肱之臣，乃至走上宰相高位进而影响宋代历史走向的人生经历进行了细致讲述。其间，既有对司马光与恩师庞籍、挚友庞之道深厚的师友之谊的描写，又有对其在激烈变革的大时代下与各方势力间思想交锋、政治角逐的讲述，乃至对司马光怡然自得的著述生涯和其思想、德行、为人处世的立场进行的生动刻画。

　　通过对这一关键人物人生轨迹的描写，我们既能看到时代如何滋养、培育、塑造了司马光，同时又看到司马光是如何作用并最终影响了时代走向。作者以关键人物为核心，在小尺度的历史书写中关注大尺度的历史脉络和士大夫精神，拎起了宋代至关重要的一段历史，并将该时段微妙的官场生态、纷杂的政坛纠葛、错综的派系之争、突显的社会问题，乃至时代与个人所面临的困局与去向一并端了出来，在时代精英们试图寻求走出“朝代更替”的怪圈，探索解决之道、化解矛盾纷争，寻找本朝长治久安出路的过程中，将看似纯净中庸的美好背后复杂的人性与更为复杂的利益缠斗挖掘出来，带领我们看清变革时局下，个体在修身与入仕、改革与守旧、治国与兴邦等方面做出判断与选择的同时，一并看懂大宋王朝建国80年后的兴盛与忧患，出路与困局。

　　作者简介

　　赵冬梅，北京大学历史学系教授，博士生导师，中国宋史研究会理事。英国牛津大学圣安东尼学院访问学者，美国斯坦福大学北大分校客座副教授，德国维尔茨堡大学汉学系、法国巴黎社会科学高等研究院、美国加州大学戴维斯分校、香港教育大学客座教授，中央电视台《百家讲坛》主讲人。致力于宋代制度、政治文化和历史人物传记的研究、写作与传播。

　　著有：《法度与人心：帝制时期人与制度的互动》《人间烟火：掩埋在历史里的日常与人生》《大宋之变：1063—1086》《文武之间：北宋武选官研究》《武道彷徨：中国古代的武举与武学》《千秋是非话寇准》；译著有《天潢贵胄：宋代宗室史》《中国转向内在：两宋之际的文化内向》等。

"Tolerance and Stubbornness" content introduction

This book focuses on the growth track, life experience and social activities of Sima Guang, a famous historian, politician and great scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty, and tells the historical changes of his life spanning five dynasties: Zizhen, Renzong, Yingzong, Shenzong and Zhe Zong. As well as the Northern Song Dynasty related to the political stars such as Wang Anshi, Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Bao Zheng, Su Shi brothers and other interactions, grievances and entanglements.

Who is Sima Guang? Is it the Sima Prime Minister who cares for the people and loves the people in the eyes of the Song people, or the stubborn old guard known by the contemporary people and the arch-enemy of Wang Anshi's reform? An ancient model of filial piety, a gentle friend, or a firm and courageous official, a conservative and moderate reformer? Is it a politician with noble private morals, a literary justice who is famous in history? Or is it the grave digger of a restrictive, doctrinal, permissive politics? Although he has been given many labels by The Times, his image and face in the contemporary people's cognition are still distant and vague after thousands of years of history, and even the interpretation of him has been somewhat ambiguous or biased.

Professor Zhao Dongmei, an expert in Song history of Peking University, based on the accumulation of years of Song history research, traces Sima Guang's family origin, and gives a detailed account of his life experience from his initial official career to prominence, to becoming a minister, and even to the high position of prime minister, which influenced the historical trend of the Song Dynasty. In the meantime, there are not only the description of Sima Guang's profound friendship with his teacher Pang Ji and his friend Pang Zhidao, but also the description of the ideological confrontation and political competition between Sima Guang and various forces in the great era of drastic changes, and even the vivid description of Sima Guang's comfortable writing career and his thoughts, virtues and stances in life.

Through the description of the life track of this key figure, we can not only see how The Times nourish, cultivate and shape Sima Guang, but also see how Sima Guang plays a role and ultimately affects the trend of The Times. With key figures as the core, the author focuses on the large-scale historical context and the spirit of scholastic officials in the small-scale history writing, and takes up a crucial period of Song Dynasty history, and brings out the delicate official ecology, complicated political entanglements, intricate factional disputes, prominent social problems, and even the dilemma and direction faced by The Times and individuals at that time. In the process of seeking to get out of the vicious circle of "dynasty replacement", exploring solutions, resolving contradictions and disputes, and looking for the long-term peace and stability of the dynasty, the elites of The Times dug out the complex human nature and more complex interest struggles behind the seemingly pure and moderate beauty, leading us to see clearly the situation of change. Individuals make judgments and choices in the aspects of self-cultivation and official life, reform and conservatism, governing the country and rejuvenating the state, and understand the prosperity and troubles, the way out and the dilemma after the establishment of the Great Song Dynasty 80 years ago.

About the author

Zhao Dongmei, professor of History Department of Peking University, doctoral supervisor, director of China Song History Research Association. Visiting scholar, St. Anthony's College, University of Oxford, UK; visiting associate Professor, Stanford University, Peking University, USA; Visiting professor, Department of Sinology, University of Wurzburg, Germany; Institut Superieure des Sciences Sociales, Paris, France; Visiting professor, University of California, Davis, Education University of Hong Kong; keynote speaker, CCTV Lecture Room. He is committed to the study, writing and dissemination of the Song Dynasty's system, political culture and biographies of historical figures.

His books include: Fa-Degree and Human Heart: Interaction between Man and System in the Imperial Period, Human Fireworks: Daily Life buried in History, Changes in the Great Song Dynasty: 1063-1086, Between the Civil and the Martial Arts: A Study of Wu-elected Officials in the Northern Song Dynasty, Wu-Dao Hesitation: Wu-ju and Wu-Shu in Ancient China, and A Thousand Years of Wrong and Wrong Words. His translations include "Tianxanthorhoe: A History of the Imperial Family in the Song Dynasty" and "China Turns Inward: Cultural Introversion in the Two Song Dynasties".