阴阳五行说的历史与宇宙生成模式

A History of Theories of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements and the Formation of Universe

远在邹衍之前阴阳五行说就已经有了丰富的形态。阴阳的特殊含义在殷商以前已经出现 ,将阴阳与灾异结合在一块 ,出现在《周易》时代 ,五行可能产生于夏代 ,明确于商代 ,阴阳与五行互为发明的时间早于邹衍的五德终始说。取象于自然的阴阳五行是邹衍发表其宇宙本原之生成的基础。在对儒家宇宙观的批判中 ,战国后期的邹衍提出了“裨海”、“大瀛海”等的概念 ,从而把人们对宇宙的认识引向更广袤的天地。

Theories of Yin-yang and the Five Elements were in full bloom long before Zou Yan came up with such concepts in the late period of the Warring States. Yin and Yang were endowed with special connotations before Shang Dynasty. They were connected with disasters when Zhouyi came into being. The concept of the Five Elements might emerge in Xia Dynasty and was confirmed in Shang Dynasty. The combination of Yin, Yang and the Five Elements happened before Zou Yan's theory that each of the Five Elements has its own character determining the working of society. With nature as their prototype, Yin, Yang and the Five Elements are the basis of Zou Yan's theory of formation of universe. In his criticism of Confucian views of universe, Zou advanced concepts like the 'Sea of Bihai' and the 'Sea of Dayinghai', expanding the range of cognition of universe.