江藩古文观述论

Jiang Fan 's Concept on Ancient Chinese Literature: A Review

江藩曾表明自己工于古文,但又称其文不带"八家气息",前后观点看似矛盾,令人费解。其实,江藩所谓"八家气息"并非指八大家的古文风貌,而是指不囿于古文家作文之法。这其中潜藏着江藩"创新"和"本经术"的古文观念。创新的前提是博通,本经术的目的在于用世。这种古学观念与当时的文化背景以及扬州学人的影响是分不开的。

Jiang Fan showed by himself that he was skilled in ancient Chinese literature, but he asserted that his prose had not any smell of the eight prose masters of the Tang and Song dynasties. Such a statement seems to be confusing. In fact, Jiang Fan's so-called smell of the eight prose masters of the Tang and Song dynasties did not refer to their ancient literature's style, but meant that his prose was written with a method not confined within the laws of the ancient writers' creation. This implied Jiang Fan's concept on ancient literature in which innovation and Confucian classics were given priority. The premise of innovation was learned knowledge, and the purpose of regarding the Confucian classics as the origin lies in humanistic pragmatism. This concept on ancient Chinese learning is inseparable with the prevailing cultural background and the impact of Yangzhou scholars at that time.