「死亡」是每個人必定面對的人生課題。對於某些人來說，「死亡」在某些情況下會成為實現自我意志的方法，「選擇」經過死亡讓「自己」進入另一個開端而非終結，這就是「自裁」背後的意義。司馬遷在其父司馬談去世後，續成其志，自己又適逢李陵之難，下吏幾死。這兩次死亡經驗與其著書之間的關係，司馬遷於〈太史公白序〉、〈報任少卿書〉嘗言及之，前賢亦多所申論。是文首發司馬遷之鬱結及其悲憤，次列《史記》人物之「自裁」，敘死亡與摩滅之「名」，迺及死與不死之「李將軍」，總言欲以闡釋司馬遷於〈報任少卿書〉所謂「引決自裁」與其人其書之關係，或得「改寫」司馬遷轉折於「述往事，思來者」之心靈史。

Death is one of lifes inevitablities. For some people, death is a means of self realization”. The ”choice” to allow oneself to perish is one that allows an individual to express their ideas. This is the meaning behind suicide. Upon his father's passing, Sima Qianinherited the task of completing Sima Tan's ”Historical Records”. However, he was later implicated in the Li Ling incident, imprisoned, and nearly put to death. He spoke of these two experiences with death in the section of the ”Shiji” entitled Autobiography of the Grand Historian and in the section Reply to RenAn. This article will explore Sima Qian's depression and indignation. I will also give examples of the suicides of historical figures from within the ”Shiji” as well as a Sima's narration of death and the extermination of one's legacy. Finally,, we will look at the choice of death after the Ii ling incident as we summize and elucidate the Grand Historian 's ideas on suicide found in his reply to RenAnn and its relationship to the two aforementioned texts.