象物之学:中华文艺观念的政教源始

Science of“Xiang Wu”:the Origin Logic of Chinese Classical Culture and Education

本文从古典立场反思古人的"物"(对应于现代之"自然")论,并由"物"及"象",再过渡到"象物""立象",并从"立象"角度重审中华文艺思想最具特色的政教观念的源始逻辑。物字由"牛为大物"引申为万物共名。万物之"物"取义于庶类之杂。人物一体共贯。这个立场正是对创世神话的哲学式回应。物生必有象,象乃是物之象,二者不可须臾离。"象"则是通神明之德、类万物之情的根本途径。"象"由兆象、卦象传统逐渐衍化为古典政教传统的核心观念,其中一个关键环节就是"象物"。"铸鼎象物"为后世古典叙事提供了本源性的思考,为华夏的地理认同、文化体认奠定了理论根基。象物之学,一言以蔽之,就是法天象地的学问。《周易·系辞上》"立象以尽意","象"方始具有了华夏世界观和方法论的思想深度。"立象以尽意"为圣人设教的根本原则。古代政治制度,皆本天道而治人,因"时变"而察"人文",象教是华夏先人探宇宙之赜、究天人之际、通古今之变的根本文教。

How to re-explore the relationship between man and nature and the classical political and religious tradition is a valuable topic.This paper reflects on the ancient“thing”(corresponding to the modern“nature”)theory from the classical standpoint,and then transits from“thing”and“xiang(image)”to“image of thing”and“image establishment”,and intends to re-examine the origin logic of Chinese classical culture and education from the perspective of“image establishment”.The word“thing”is extended from“Niu is a big thing”to the common name of all things.The“thing”of all things takes its meaning from the variety of common things.People and things are a unity.This position is a philosophical response to the creation myth.There must be images when all things come into being.Images are images of things,and they cannot be separated in a moment.Image is the fundamental way to communicate the virtue of gods and the emotion of all things.“Xiang”has gradually evolved from the tradition of omen and hexagram to the core concept of classical political and religious tradition,and one of the key links is make an image of something(“Xiang Wu”).“Casting tripod and extraction of objects(Zhuding Xiangwu)provides the original thinking for the later classical narrative,and lays a theoretical foundation for the geographical identity and cultural identity of China.In a word,the knowledge of images is the knowledge of the law of heaven and earth.In the book of changes put forward a principle“sets up the image to express the meaning”and“image”has the depth of Chinese world outlook and methodology.It is the fundamental principle for sages to set up teaching by setting up images with the utmost intention.In ancient times,the political system was based on the way of heaven to govern people,and human principle was observed because of time change.The educational tradition of images was the fundamental culture and education for Chinese ancestors to explore the universe,study the relationship between heaven and man,and understand the changes of ancient and modern times.