《周易时论合编》“时”之内涵探要

On the Connotations of“Timeliness”in the Zhouyi shilun hebian

作为桐城方氏几代人"随时拾薪"的成果,《周易时论合编》不仅对宋明诸家易学多有采撷,更试图以"时"贯通象数、义理之学。在方氏易学中,"时"具有时义、时用、时中等多重内涵。通过阐释时义,方氏对《周易》乃至万事万物的变化发展做了新的诠释,提出"有开必先,圣人因时宜之"的思想;在吸收、改造邵雍"元会运世"说的基础上,方氏提出了"午会之时,万法咸彰"的时用思想;在形上学方面,方氏提出了即体即用、寂历同时的时中思想。方氏的原创命题兼具新意与思想深度,他对传统哲学范畴、问题的理解较之传统观点亦有重大推进。

As an achievement of several generations of Fang Yizhi’s(1611-71)family from Tongcheng,Zhouyi shilun hebian(A Comprehensive Compilation of Discussions on"Timeliness"in the Zhou Changes)not only assimilated many insights from Song-Ming(960-1644)experts at the Yijing,but also further attempted to conduct an analysis of"timeliness"in such a way as to thread it through a common treatment of[the two schools of]image-numerology and principles.In Fang’s scholarship on the Changes,"timeliness"possesses multiple connotations of"timely meanings","timely function",and"timely centrality".Through elaborating on the meanings of timeliness,Fang’s family contributed new interpretations of the changes and development of the myriad things in terms of the Zhouyi,so that the sage could be quickly habituated to innovation.Having assimilated and transformed Shao Yong’s(1011-1077)cyclical theory,Fang’s family set forth their thought of"timely function";in regard to metaphysics,they highlighted their thought of"timely centrality"with the inseparability of substance and function.Original propositions from Fang’s family were both novel and incisive,and also furthered understandings of categories and questions in traditional Chinese philosophy.