会通与坚守之间——艾儒略对“性理”之说的跨文化阐释

Between Integration and Persevering:Giulio Aleni’s Intercultural Interpretation on the Concepts and Propositions of Song-ming Neo-Confucianism

明末来华耶稣会士艾儒略以其“西来孔子”的理论修养,从天主教基础立场出发,就彼时极盛的理学的相关命题与概念做出了深入的对接性的阐释。艾儒略重视耶儒两种不同的文化在本体上的差异和二者作为自足自洽的信念系统,颇富新意地提出“性即魂”“气自气”等命题和“内神大体”“元质”等概念与宋明理学“性”“理”“太极”等概念进行会通,体现出其试图调和天学创世论和儒学固有思想的努力,其跨文化阐释为耶儒对话提供了丰富启示。同时,他过于倚重逻辑论证方式致使其确未形成更多互惠性理解。

In the late Ming Dynasty,Giulio Aleni,a missionary who gained a great reputation as West Confucius,made an in-depth interpretation of the concepts and relevant propositions of the most profound Neo-Confucianism from the standpoint of Catholicism.Paying attention to the fundamental difference between the two different yet self-sufficient cultures of Catholicism and Confucianism,Aleni tried to put forward the propositions and concepts such as“Xing(Nature)is Li(Reason)”,“Qi(Breath)is Qi-self”and“Inner God”,“meta-substance”to integrate into the concepts of“Xing”,“Li”and“Tai Ji(the Great Ultimate)”of the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties,which reflects his efforts for intercultural reconciliation.Meanwhile,under the guidance of the spirit“Logos”,Aleni relied too much on logical argumentation,which weakens and even degrades the ontological and transcendental meaning of the concepts.The tension of interpretation makes it hard to form a richer reciprocal understanding.