乾嘉天算专门之学在科举考试中的渗透

The Permeation of Astronomical Calculation into the Civil Examinations in the Qianlong and Jiaqing Periods

尽管一般认为明清时期的科举考试被理学笼罩而呈现僵化状态,但也时常与不同时期的文化和学术相关联。康熙帝虽热衷于以天文学和数学为大宗的西学,却明确表示科举考试不能以天文、算法命题,以免阻碍天算"实学"的发展。然而,乾嘉考据学派兴起,把明末以降的西学纳入儒学知识考据的范畴,形成具有汉学范式的天算专门之学,进而渗透到科举考试当中。天算专门之学不但出现在乾嘉之际的会试、乡试和学政举行的"观风试"试题中,还出现在考生的八股文和策论答卷中,并成为对考生学问进行评判的重要标准之一。

Although the civil examination system in late imperial China was always considered a rigid method for choosing officials because of the connection between the fundamental rationale for the examinations and Neo-Confucianism, examinations in different reign were also related to the current influences academia at the time.