论“通识”的中国历史语境——以四史和《世说新语》为例

The Interpretation of“Tong Shi”in the Chinese Historical Context——A Case Study of “Four Famous History Books” and A New Account of the Tales of the World

《史记》《汉书》《后汉书》《三国志》四史及《世说新语》中有关“通”“识”的记录较多。考察这些历史记录,可以发现:“通”之境界有三:一是某一个方面的“通”,即“专通”,范围可大可小;二是跨界之“通”,即“兼通”,就是能够游走在不同专业领域;三是知行会通,即“融通”“贯通”,其最高境界就是“无所不通”,达到这一层面的“通”必须立意要专,读书要博,精思取舍。“德”是“通”的前提和保证;将所通之理应用于实践,勇于任事,是“通”的延展和深化;要察微知几,善于决断。在中国传统文化语境中,与“识”相关的三个词“识数”“识相”和“识时”,通常用来表示人的基本认识能力、自我识知能力和审时度势能力。四史及《世说新语》所揭示的“识”的境界、内容等,与三识多能参差。“通”与“识”虽相区别,但更多联系,尤其在高阶位境界,“通”与“识”合体成“通识”,其标准有四:道德高尚,行为世范;刻苦治学,博通经籍;熟悉政治,精明能干;识时明势,果于去就。“通识”贯穿了德、学、行、思诸多方面。

Many records about“Tong”and“Shi”have been found in Records of the Grand Historian,History of(Former)Han Dynasty,History of the Later Han Dynasty,The Records of Three Kingdoms and A New Account of the Tales of the World.And the two words“Tong”and“Shi”have been used together even in the books History of Jin Dynasty and History of Song Dynasty.From these historical records,three levels of“Tong”have been displayed.Firstly,special“Tong”——being proficient in a certain field in a large or small scope,which means that one can master a certain field in an all-round way.Secondly,cross-border“Tong”,wanders in different professional fields.Thirdly,“accommodation”and“penetration”grasp the knowing and doing,and the highest realm is“omnipotence”.One must be determined to be specialized and have extensive reading,careful thinking and choice to achieve this level of“penetration”.“Virtue”is the premise and guarantee of“Tong”.It is the extension and deepening of“Tong”to apply the principle of“Tong”to practice and to be brave in serving;it is necessary to observe subtle things carefully and be good at making decisions.As for“Qing Tong”and“Ming Tong”,“Tong”,on the one hand,leads to the psychological and personality level;on the other hand,it makes itself turn to be abstracted and corresponds to the atmosphere of literati and officialdom's metaphysical.In the context of Chinese traditional culture,the three words related to“Shi”,“Shi Shu”,“Shi Xiang”and“Shi Shi”are usually used to express people's basic cognitive ability,self-knowledge ability and general ability to judge the situation.Although the usage of words in“four famous history books”and A New Account of the Tales of the World is inconsistent.the realm and content of“Shi”revealed by the daily use context are consistent with“Three Shi”.“Tong”and“Knowledge”are different and more related,especially in the high-level realm.For example,“Tong Ru”,“Da Ru”,“Tong Ren”can be changed with“Shi Zhe”,“You Shi”and“You Shi Zhi Shi”.It is precise for this reason that“Tong”and“Shi”finally merge into“Tong Shi”,which has four criteria:noble morality,exemplary behavior;diligent scholarship,extensive classics;familiarity with politics,being smart and competent;knowledge of the times and situations,doing without hesitation,which cover morality,learning,practice,thinking and many other aspects.