从历法角度探讨《黄帝内经》运气学说的形成年代

Using ancient Chinese calendar to investigate the formation time of circuit qi theory in Huangdi Neijing

本文梳理《黄帝内经》运气学说有关历法方面的内容,归纳出四分历、历元、干支纪年、气朔、置闰、三百六十日法、五星、夏时、漏刻9个问题。然后从历法学角度对这些问题的发展历史做了逐一回顾,提取这些发展历史中的重大事件作为断代标尺,以之来衡量运气学说所描述的历法内容,从而推论出运气学说的形成年代。最后的结论是其形成年代的下限在唐代以前,上限则基本否定了其形成于先秦、秦、汉初的可能性,更支持其形成于西汉中后期,或东汉以后,甚至南北朝之后。

This article went through all the ancient Chinese calendar related texts on circuit qi(yunqi) theory from huangdi Neijing(Huangdi’s Internal Classic) and summarized 9 key subjects: sifen li(quarter-remainder calendar), li yuan(epoch) ganzhi jinian(years designated by heavenly stems and earthly branches), qishuo(solar terms and new moon), zhirun(intercalation), sanbai liushi ri fa(method of three hundred and sixty days), wuxing(five planets), xiashi(Xia Dynasty calendar), and louke(clepsydra). These subjects were then reviewed chronologically one by one, and significant events in history were defined as key time markers, by using which those ancient Chinese calendar content in circuit qi theory were measured. The formation time of circuit qi theory was thus inferred. The conclusion is that the formation time was no later than Tang Dynasty,and not earlier than the pre-Qin Period, Qin Dynasty, or Early Western Han Dynasty, but more likely in middle and late Western Han Dynasty, or after Eastern Han Dynasty, even after North and South Dynasties.