唐代儒者的政治关怀及其现代反思——以两唐书《儒学传》为中心的考察

Political Concern of Scholars on the Tang Dynasty and Modern Introspection on it——An Investigation Based on Confucian Biography in The Old and The New Biographical History of the Tang Dynasty

儒者以参与政治、关心政治为己任,即使是在儒家义理未曾得到很大发展的唐代,儒者的政治关怀也依然得以展现。从两唐书《儒学传》来看,唐代儒者没有从义理上对儒家政治思想有较大推进,但对儒家礼教礼治的精神有所强化,他们积极运用所掌握的礼仪知识去干预政治生活,参与政权建设,这是唐代儒者政治关怀的一个重要特点。以现代视野观之,包括唐代儒者在内的传统儒者关心和参与政治的方式值得现代儒者反思,政治制度构建与维护并非儒者政治关怀落实的惟一途径。唐代儒者主要靠记诵辞章以及引经据典来维护自己的学术尊严,或者只靠繁琐的仪礼细节来说明礼治精神,拘泥于儒家学说的繁琐考证之中,失却了儒学反思社会现实问题的能力,如此思路下,儒学思想的没落则是必然的。

Confucian scholars were self-obligatory by participating in and showing concern with political affairs. Even in the Tang Dynasty when Confucian theory had not gained great advancement, scholars showed all the same concern with political matters in the day. In terms of the Confucian Biography in The Old and The New Biographical History of the Tang Dynasty, Confucian scholars did not do much to theoretically advance Confucian political think- ing, but they did do much to intensify the spirit of Confucian ceremonial education and government. They were active in interfering with political life and taking part in construction of political power with their ceremonial learning, which was characteristic of political concern of Confucian scholars in the Tang Dynasty. From a modern perspective, the means of regarding and participating in politics of traditional Confucian scholars, including those in the Tang Dynasty, is worth modem scholars reflecting. As history had it, Confucian scholars couldn＇ t bring their political concern in action only by making an effort at the construction and perseverance of political institutions. Moreover, Confucian scholars in those days generally tended to preserve their own academic dignity by remembering classical writings or quoting from classics or interpret the spirit of ceremonial government with miscellaneous details of ceremony and propriety. In a word, they simply adhered rigidly to tedious investigation of Confucian works, totally losing the ability of reflecting on realistic problems in society. As a result, the decline of Confucian thinking became a historical necessity.