天变可畏乎:晚清彗星认识的更新与天道信仰的困境

Is Abnormal Celestial Phenomena Miracle? The Update of the Comet Knowledge in the Late Qing Dynasty and the Dilemma of Faith in Tian

灾异论的彗星解释是古代中国天道信仰的重要表现形式。在这种思想传统中,彗星被认为是神圣存在对人世道德状态的谴责和告诫,这种观念在很长的岁月中被反复记载、阅读和阐释,并产生了相应的实践,维持并巩固了彗星与灾难的关联。灾异论的彗星解释作为一种世界观和宗教信条,在不同程度上促使人们尤其是统治者祈祷、忏悔、改过迁善,具备道德维系的功能。然而,晚清基督徒传入的以牛顿学说和哈雷学说为基础的彗星解释认为,彗星自有固定轨道,与人世行为无关,不应被看作天对人世行为的谴告,因而并不具备道德监察和道德维系的功能。基于彗星的科学解释更强的说服力,以及西方科学在近代中国积累起来的话语权,彗星的科学解释对灾异论的彗星解释取得了最终的胜利,清廷和大量知识分子最终放弃了灾异论的彗星解释。但这意味着需要同时放弃其道德维系的功能,天道信仰也会丧失其表现形式。有的知识分子因惋惜其道德维系功能而力图维护灾异论的彗星解释,有的则在放弃灾异论的前提下力图维持天道信仰。但因证据缺失、逻辑不自洽,两种回应方案都难以奏效。这种进退失据的窘境反映出宇宙祛魅给中国的天道信仰传统造成了巨大难题。新文化运动中的"代宗教"说、现代新儒家重讲"天人之际",都是对这一难题的不同回应。

The catastrophist explanation of comets is an important form of the Chinese faith in Tian in ancient times As natural heteromorphism, comets were considered as condemnation and warning on human moral status down from the divine being, and the appearance of comets could urge human to pray, to confess and to correct themselves. However, in the late Qing Dynasty, the Christian natural theology that had been introduced in suggested a new explanation of comet, which proved a powerful challenge against the traditional catastrophist explanations and undermined the theoretical basis of morality. As a result, the faith in Tian lost its important framework and its moral restriction on humanity was greatly weakened.