Spring and Autumn Historiography

The Spring and Autumn is an annals text composed of brief records covering the period 722–479 BCE, written from the perspective of the ancient Chinese state of Lu. Traditionally ascribed to Confucius, it is said that he embedded his evaluations of events within the text. However, the formulaic and impersonal records do not resemble the repository of moral judgments that they are alleged to be.

Driven by her discovery that The Spring and Autumn is governed by a system of rules, Newell Ann Van Auken argues that Lu record-keepers—not a later editor—produced the formally regular core of the text. She demonstrates that The Spring and Autumn employs formulaic phrasing and selective omission to encode the priorities of Lu and to communicate the relative importance of individuals, states, and events. Many of its records are derived from diplomatic announcements received in Lu from regional states and the Zhou court.

The Spring and Autumn is fundamentally a document designed to enhance the prestige of Lu, revealing a deep concern with relative rank and displaying an idealized hierarchy that positions the state of Lu and its rulers at the apex. By establishing The Spring and Autumn as a genuine Bronze Age record, this book transforms our understanding of its significance and purpose. It also offers new approaches to the study of ancient annals in early China and elsewhere.