由中国哲学史论著探讨中国哲学起源议题

On the Origin of Chinese Philosophy from the Works on the History of Chinese Philosophy

随着近代大学成立,哲学成为中国文科领域的专业学科,自然得有中、西哲学史之论著。考察现今中国哲学史或思想史论著对中国哲学内容的认定,并未完全脱离传统学术,范围涵括传统的经学、子学,但不免受西洋哲学史的影响。对中国哲学的起源的认定,主要分为最早的哲学与哲学正式出现前的思想两种认识。学界大抵认定孔子是中国哲学的开端,且认为应交待孔子之前的上古思想。中国哲学史论著对上古思想与孔子哲学的关联多采取在孔子思想前先谈上古思想的形式。至于上古思想的论述,尤关注殷、周对"天"的信仰,透过传世文献、出土文献,亦藉用卜辞、金文这些古文字作为依据,认为殷、周皆存在对"天"的信仰,将天视为客观的形上实体,为宇宙的最高主宰,并顺此谈天命,即透过民意向背谈政权转移。至于天人关系,从神人沟通到绝地天之通,为西周时期的观念,但未必与萨满信仰有关。关于中国哲学的起源,无论是直接论述上古思想,或径由孔子思想指出思想渊源,皆可展现中国哲学由孔子开端,在孔子之前已对天人关系进行思考的发展特色。

With the establishment of modern universities, philosophy turns out to be a discipline in liberal arts. Accordingly, there have been many works on the history of both Western and Chinese philosophies. With respect to the contents of Chinese philosophy, it can be seen that, in spite of the inspirations of the history of Western philosophy, these works did not break completely away from Chinese traditional academia, which includes studies of traditional classics and famous scholars’ theories. The origin of Chinese philosophy mainly referred to its incipience and its formal emergence. Academic circles generally viewed Confucius’ s(551-479 BCE) thought as the beginning of Chinese philosophy and held the necessity to clarify his predecessor’s ideas, with respect to which scholars, on the basis of both the received and unearthed materials, paid close attention to the belief in Heaven as an objective metaphysical substance and Supreme Being in the Shang(c.1600-1046 BCE) and Zhou(1046-256 BCE) dynasties. Following this clue, the Mandate of Heaven and its transformation from the will of Heaven to public attitude towards governance were discussed. The relationship between Heaven and Human beings, which was not necessarily related to shamanism, became a concept discussed in the Western Zhou(1046-771 BCE) dynasty. To put it in a nutshell, Confucius’ s thought established the beginning of Chinese philosophy, whereas the relationship between Heaven and Human beings had been taken into consideration by his predecessors.