六朝太学与国学考辨

An Examination of Taixue and Guoxue in the Period of the Six Dynasties

学术界对六朝时期太学与国学的关系有多种不同看法。有六朝国学始于东吴孙休时说,有东吴无国学说。有人认为南朝的太学与国学是两所并列的学校,有时两者同置,有时一存一废;有南朝只有国学而无太学说等。事实上东吴并无太学或国学存在;西晋开始在太学之中设置培养贵族子弟的国子学,校舍分离,号称“二学”;东晋先设太学,后又增设国学,并将“二学”校舍合并;南朝“太学”与“国学”为一校二名,由于国学以上层贵族子弟为培养对象,国学的地位和名声高于太学,因此“国学”常常取代“太学”,成为国家最高学府的习惯通称。

There have been different opinions about the relation between Taixue（太学, the highest seat of learning in ancient China）and Guoxue（国学） in the period of the Six Dynasties in academia. Someone believes that the Guoxue in the Six Dynasties originated from Sun Xiu（孙休）of the Wu State, whereas others hold that there was no Guoxue in Wu State; Someone argues that Taixue and Guoxue were parallel universities in the Southern Dynasties, yet others think that there was only Guoxue and no Taixue at that time. Through the exploration of the existing historical materials, the author argues that neither Taixue nor Guoxue existed in Wu State Starting from the Western Jin Dynasty, Guozixue （国子学） was established inside Taixue for the purpose of cultivating the offsprings of nobility, each having separate schoolhouse and donnitory. Taixue and Guozixue were called “the twin schools”. In the Eastem Jin Dynast3, Taixue was established firstly and then Guoxue was founded. The schoolhouses and dormitories of “the twin schools” were also combined during that period. In the Southern Dynasty, “Taixue” and “Guoxue” are two names of the same school. Due to its students from the offsprings of nobility, Guoxue exceeded Taixue in status and fame, thus “Guoxue” replaced “Taixue” and became the general name of the highest institution of higher leaming.