格物致知:儒学内部生长出来的科学因子

Studying the Nature of Things:the Scientific Factor Stemmed from Confucianism

从格物致知与科学关系的角度看,历史上格物致知的含义曾经发生过两次重大转向:一次是程朱理学格物致知说的形成,另一次是明末清初实学思想家格物致知观的形成。两次转向均对科学起到了显著的促进作用。通过这两次重大转向,格物致知经历了一个认知含义不断扩大、最终由一个道德概念转变为兼具道德和认知双重性质的概念并用来表征科学的过程。该过程表明:格物致知与科学不是无关,而是大有关联,格物致知乃是儒学内部生长出来的科学因子。这一点既决定了儒学与科学具有根本上的相容性,也为证明儒学具有自己的认识传统、具有与现代科学相接榫的可能性,提供了内在依据。

From the viewpoint of relationship between“studying the nature of things”(gewu zhizhi)and science,the meaning of the former has undergone two major shifts:one is its formation in Neo-Confucianism,and the other is practical thinkers’views in late Ming and early Qing period.Through these major shifts,the cognitive meaning of“studying the nature of things”has been gradually expanded,changing from a mortal concept to a concept containing both cognitive and mortal meanings to represent science.This expansion shows that knowledge and science are not independent,but associated.“Studying the nature of things”is a scientific factor stemmed from Confucianism.This proves evidencenot only for the fundamental compatibility of Confucianism and science,but also for Confucianism has its own cognitive tradition,as well as the possibility of connecting Confucianism with modern science.