《易传》刚柔思想的形成与易学诠释典范的转移

The Formation of the Thought on Hardness and Softness in Yi Zhuan and the Transfer of Interpretive Paradigm of the Yi Studies

在数千年的易学思想史上,最为重大的易学思想转变无疑是从《易经》到《易传》的转折,此一转折实现了《易经》诠释典范的转移,使之从卜筮之书变成了一部基于象数的哲理之书。可是,易学诠释典范的转移是如何发生的,孔子晚而喜《易》与此一转变有何关系,近代以来的易学研究却是语焉不详。然而,帛书《易传》、郭店楚简和上博简等出土文献的发掘使我们不得不重新审视此一问题。将传世文献与新出土简帛资料相结合,可探寻从《易经》到《易传》这一重大转折的内在思想线索。由今本《易传》和帛书《易传》及其他文献的分析可见,"刚柔"概念是早期《易传》的思想核心,是从《易经》到《易传》的关键思想环节,也是阴阳思想的基础。刚柔思想构成了《易传》阴阳思想的前史。最早将刚柔思想引入《易传》的应该是孔子,尽管《易传》未必是孔子本人所作,但孔子通过引入"刚柔"概念将神秘的象数理性化、人文化和宇宙观化,开创了《易传》推天道以明人事的思想模式,实现了《易经》诠释典范的转移,将易学思想推进到一个新时代。

Over the several thousand year history of evolution of Yi Jing,the most significant change was undoubtedly the transformation fromThe Book of Changes to Yi Zhuan.This represented a shift of interpretive paradigm of The Book of Changes,changing it from a book of divination into a philosophy book based on image-numerology.Yet the Yi studies of the modern times do not clarify problems such as how the transfer happened,or how it related to Confucius being fond of The Book of Changes in his later life.However,with the excavation of the documents of the silk manuscript of Yi Zhuan,the Guodian Chu Bamboo Slips,and the Bamboo Slips at Shanghai Museum,we must review these questions.Combining the received documents with the newly excavated materials,some important discoveries can be made.By analyzing the extant edition and the silk manuscript of Yi Zhuan,as well as other documents,we can see that the concept of hardness and softness is the core thought of the early edition of Yi Zhuan,the key link of the transformation from The Book of Changes to Yi Zhuan,and the foundation as well as prelude to the concept of yin and yang.Confucius was most likely the first one to introduce the ideas of hardness and softness into Yi Zhuan.Although Yi Zhuan was not necessarily written by Confucius,he made the mysterious image-numerology rational and humane,thus initiatinga new way of extrapolating the Dao of Heaven to understand human affairs,realizing the shift of interpretive paradigm of The Book of Changes,and bringing the Yi studies into a new era.