“理”概念发展的知识线索

The Knowledge Clues of the Development of the Concept of “Li”

学术界一般的看法是,"理"这一概念主要是在宋代得到发展,并且其主要与本体和道德问题有关。然而,"理"这一概念的发展很可能还包含着一条重要的知识线索,并且,这一线索贯穿从先秦到明清也即古代社会观念的始终。"理"概念实际上主要是发端于知识领域的,特别是魏晋南北朝与隋唐时期为这一概念的成熟奠定了重要的基础,宋代理学在很大程度上也是建立在知识基础上,或者说,其为知识之"理"留出了相应的空间。而在中国社会后期观念与思想发展中,基于知识线索的"穷理"、"格物"观念是为数不多充盈着活力并闪耀着光芒的观念之一,在很大程度上,这一线索的观念对于中国近代科学的接生和引产也具有重要的意义。

＂Li＂ is generally taken as a concept which has been developed mainly in the Song Dynasty, and it was mainly concerned with ontology and morality. However, the development of the concept of ＂Li＂ may also contain a very important knowledge clue, which casts its influence on social thoughts from the pre-Qin Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Through the ex- amination of this clue, our existing knowledge may be reformed, and thus give birth to other new and important knowledge. In fact, the concept of ＂Li＂, mainly originated in the field of knowledge, especially in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynas- ties, reaches its maturity in the Sui and Tang dynasties, and ＂Neo-Confucianism＂ in Song Dynasty is largely built on the field of knowledge. In the late development of concepts and ideas of Chinese society, ＂Qiongli＂ and ＂Gewu＂, based on the clues of knowledge, are the few concepts of vitality. To a large extent, this knowledge clue is also of great significance for the delivery and induction of Chinese modern science.