맹상군에 대한 사마천의 평가 ‘好客自喜’ 고찰

초록

This study examines Sima Qian’s evaluation of Mengchangjun in Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian), focusing on the phrase “Hospitality brings joy to oneself” (好客自喜). By comparing the Mengchangjun liezhuan with the Zhanguoce (Strategies of the Warring States), the study argues that Sima Qian did not merely praise Mengchangjun’s generosity but reinterpreted it as a reflection of private vanity and moral limitation. The selective omission of positive anecdotes and insertion of negative or restructured episodes reveal a critical narrative strategy that transforms Mengchangjun from a virtuous patron into a self-serving figure. The concluding expression “Hospitality brings joy to oneself” thus functions as a subtle satire rather than commendation, underscoring Sima Qian’s moral insight into the tension between public virtue and personal desire. This analysis reinterprets Sima Qian’s biographical writing as a vehicle for ethical reflection on human ambition and fame rather than as neutral historiography.

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