Why was Confucius traditionally associated with the Spring and Autumn Annals?

Confucius is traditionally associated with the Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn Annals) because he is believed to have applied moral judgment to the political events recorded within the text. While he may not have been the original author of the annals, tradition holds that he edited the work to assign historical praise and blame to influential political actors of the period.12

This practice of evaluating politics through the lens of moral judgment is considered a defining characteristic of Confucian historical consciousness. By using the annals to exercise such judgment, Confucius was seen as not only recording history but also establishing foundational rules for governance and interpreting the relationship between humanity and nature. This unique approach to historiography—where the historian assumes a role in evaluating political morality—became a significant influence on later Chinese historians, including Sima Qian, and helped solidify the Chunqiu as a central text in the Confucian tradition.12