西学的移用与致用:从道光六年彗星见事件看乾嘉学者对四行说的态度

Displacement and Utilization of Western Learning: Scholars' Attitude Towards the Four-Elements Theory in Qianlong and Jiaqing Reign Periods,Seen from the Cometic Incident in 1826

清道光六年(1826)春有彗星出现,两广总督阮元幕僚李明彻据此认为将出现旱灾,改变了阮元先前认为将会有战争的判断,并影响其决策。阮元原来的判断基于中国传统星占理论,李明彻的判断则是对西方自然哲学中四行说理论的实际运用。李明彻关于彗星的西学知识源于清初游艺的《天经或问前集》,又把相关内容辑录到其《圆天图说续编》之中,但在一些注解中加入了"五行"字样,是对四行说的移用,并淡化了原著带有的基督神学色彩。把整个事件与其他文献相互印证,显示出乾嘉学者对四行说的普遍态度:总体上排斥耶稣会士输入的、基督神学化的四行说,但接受四行说揭示事物关系的"实理"及其具体的操作运用。

According to the occurrence of comet in the spring of 1826, Li Ming-che, an assistant to Ruan Yuan （Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces） predicted that there would be a drought, which altered Ruan＇s prediction that there would be a war. Li＇s prediction changed Ruan＇s mind who made preparation for the drought. Ruan＇s prediction was based on Chinese traditional astrological theory while Li＇s was based on the four-elements theory from the Western natural philosophy. Li＇s Western cometic knowledge originated from You Yi＇s Tianjing Huowen Qianji in the early Qing Dynasty, but Li added ＂Wu Xing＂ （five-phrases） to the comment of relevant content which was edited in Li＇s Yuantian Tushuo Xubian, in order to displace the four-elements theory and weaken Christianity in the original book. The cometic incident and the other documents confirmed that the scholars in Qianlong and Jiaqing reign periods generally opposed the Christianized four- elements theory transmitted by Jesuits, but accepted the realistic utilization of ＂Shi Li＂ （true reason） of the four-elements theory which could discover the relationship among things.