先秦时期小说观念刍论

Discussion on Novel Idea in the Pre-Qin Period

先秦时期的庄子、荀子等人都有关于"小说"或"小家珍说"的论述,这些言论所针对的虽还不是文体意义上的小说,但却是后世小说观念的源头,故梳理它们的所指及其所暗含的态度是非常必要的。在相关的论述中,我们可以看到,庄子所谓的小说是指与大道相同的小道,所指向的是道家之外的其他家学说,也就是认为包括儒家在内的其他各家学说均是小说;而子夏、荀子等儒家诸子则认为除儒家学说之外的其他派别都是"小道"、"小家珍说"、"邪说"或"异说"。可见,先秦诸子在论及小说时都指向的是自己所信奉的学说之外的其他各家学说。故先秦时期所谓的小说,是在百家争鸣的学术氛围中所形成的,是各家互相批判和攻击时所用的、带有鄙夷色彩的一种说法。

In the Pre-Qin period,philosophers,such as Chuang-tzu、 Zi Xia、 Xun Zi,talked about ＂XiaoShuo＂、 ＂XiaoDao＂ or ＂XiaoJia ZhenShuo＂.These remarks were the source of the later novel idea.So it is important to study on the remarks and try to understand the implied attitude behind them.Chuang-tzu thought that ＂XiaoShuo＂ were the ideas which were different from Taoism beliefs.But Zi Xia and Xun Zi thought that Taoism 、 Legalists and the other theories were ＂XiaoShuo＂ or ＂XiaoJia ZhenShuo＂.We can conclude from these words that these philosophers all regarded ＂XiaoShuo＂ as theories which were different from their own.And the concept of ＂XiaoShuo＂,which was formed in the Pre-Qin academic atmosphere,was the statement to attack others and had the attitude of disdain.