因小学之成以进乎大学之始:浅谈朱子之“小学”对于理解其《大学》工夫的意义

Making the completing of the Primary learning as the beginning of the Great Learning: On the meaning of Zhu Xi’s Primary learning for the understanding his Gong Fu of Great Learning

朱子以格物为《大学》工夫之首,但在朱子的整个工夫序列中,格物不过是其中的一个中间环节而已。朱子认为,格物工夫要以其“端绪”为前提,此“端绪”即本心之体的发见处,格物所要可“因”的“已知之理”。然而,此“端绪”非本能呈现,在朱子看来,它有赖于“小学”涵养履践工夫的培养。“小学”与“大学”工夫是相辅相成的关系,无“小学”则“大学”工夫无根本,无“大学”则“小学”工夫难以圆满。