西周末年既往，尋覓古鑒的社會思潮。在這股鑒古思潮的影響下，人們曾經有意識地根據現實的需要選擇整理了一批歷史檔案。這就是二十九篇今文《尚書》大部分篇章的流傳背景。因此，今文《尚書》所涉及的歷史事實，大部分均與西周未年的歷史事實有著明顯的對應關係。這批有意識地選擇整理的歷史文獻，主要體現出：一、「人唯求舊」的稽古意識；二、「天命靡常」的憂患意識三、「以德配天」的自律意識。

　　　　　At the beginning of the Western Zhou dynasty, several great ministers, including Zhou Gong Dan（周公旦）and Shao Gong Shi（召公奭）, deemed it important to draw lessons form the fall of the Yin dynasty. While the practice of using ancient history as a reference in the present faded with the passing of time and death of elder ministers, it was revived at the end of the Western Zhou due to a series of natural and man-made calamities. At that time, scholars began collecting and collating ancient historical documents that were relevant to the problems encountered in their own times. Therefore, many of the historical events collected in the Shang Shu closely correspond to the historical events that occurred during the reigns of Emperor Li（厲王），Emperor Xuan（宣王）, Emperor You（幽王）and Emperor Ping（平王）of the late Western Zhou. The ancient writings collected in the Shang Shu focused on three major themes: learning form history, the fickle nature of the mandate of heaven and the cultivation of virtue.