"形而上"与"形而下"的近代分离——《易》与经学时代中国学者的学术兴趣

The split of physics and metaphysics in modern times:Yi and the scholars' interests in the Classics Studies times

近代科学在欧洲的产生,乃得益于"文艺复兴"以来欧洲学术上"形而上"与"形而下"的大规模分离。而汉以来"独尊儒术"的实现,《易》作为儒家主要经籍以其"仰观天文,俯察地理,中知人事"的宏大叙事与终极关怀,影响了经学时代中国学者的学术兴趣,导致他们将绝大多数精力投入到了以史学为主的"人事"中而非自然事物的研究对象与形而下的研究路径。两个相对独立的历史进程与历史体系或无何可比性:近代科学在欧洲产生只有在产生近代科学的欧洲自我历史进程与历史体系中才能得到解释, 中国没有产生近代科学亦复如此。至于将中国科学落后的原由单一性地归结于《易》或儒家经学,这未必符合历史的因果真相与思维的有效推理。

The birth of modern science in Europe benefits from the large-scale split of physics and metaphysics in European academic circle. Since the Han Dynasty when the 'sole veneration of Confucianism' was realized, as a main Confucian Classic and with its grand narration and ultimate concern threading through the heaven, earth, and human, Yi affected the scholars' academic interests and caused them to devote most of their energy to history-orientated 'human affairs' instead of the research of the law of nature, i. e. physical researches. It was thus incomparable between two relatively independent historical processes and systems. The birth of modern science in Europe could only be attributed to European historical process and system. Much the same could be said about the no-emergence of modern science in China. For the attribution of Chinese science's falling behind merely to the Yi or Confucianism studies, it may not accord to the historical facts as well as the effective inference of thinking.