王心斋“淮南格物”说新探

A Re-exploration of Wang Xinzhai's View of Investigating Things in the South of Huai

在宋明理学有关格物问题的诠释传统中,王心斋的"淮南格物"说可谓别具一格。历史上对此褒贬不一,当今学界亦存在意见分歧。淮南格物说形成于心斋晚年,通常认为心斋于拜师阳明之前既已有格物论,进而推论心斋思想独立于阳明学派,此属误解;心斋格物论通过对"物有本末"的重新诠释,以"身"为"物之本",以"家国天下"为"物之末",建构起了一套以"安身立本"为其特质的格物说;"身"的观念较诸"心意知物"这一概念系列更具根本性的地位。在宋明理学史上,"淮南格物"说无疑具有十分重要的理论意义和历史意义。

Wang Xinzhai＇s view of investigating things in the south of Huai formed a Conficianist tradition of interpreting issues of investigating things. Historically, scholars distinctive area of the disagreed on Wang＇ s view, so do scholars of modern academic world. Wang＇s view of investigating things was shaped in his late years. The common belief that, since Wang had already established his view of investigating things before he accepted formally Wang Yangming as his master, his doctrine should be independent of the latter＇s is actually a misunderstanding, In fact, Wang＇s view of investigating things, through a re- interpretation of ＂things having the origin and the end＂, regarded ＂the life＂ as ＂the origin of things＂ and ＂the family state＂ as ＂the end of things＂. Based on this understanding, Wang developed a systematic theory characteristic of ＂preserving the life and consolidating the state＂. In his theory, the concept of ＂the life＂ is more essential than that in ＂the mind meaning knowing things＂.