迂阔偏驳还是超越时代——赵弼《雪航肤见》再认识

Pedantic,Impractical and Non-neutral Views or Creative Insights Ahead of Time:A Review of Xuehang Insights

赵弼《雪航肤见》成书于正统十三年(1448)至景泰元年(1450)左右,是一部私修史论著作。《四库全书总目提要》批评《雪航肤见》"论多迂阔,亦颇偏驳",这一评价严重影响了其在后世的传播。然而,重新审视该书,可以发现,其在评《外纪》、皇帝、臣子、女主和历代王朝更替方面与明朝前期官方的论调多有不同,反映了赵弼对于现实政治的关怀和对儒家道德的坚守;在历史观和史学主张方面,《雪航肤见》则呈现出进步与传统紧密交织的特点。可见,《雪航肤见》在内容和思想上均有超越明朝前期的史学创见,其史学价值应该给予充分肯定,《四库全书总目提要》中的批评则明显有失公允。而这种有失公允的评价,从某种意义上说,又恰恰是四库馆臣出于反对明人空谈之风、崇汉学贬宋学以及轻视地方文人等复杂心态的缩影和反映。

Xuehang Insights written by Zhao Bi was completed around 1448 to 1450,is a private historical comments work.The Summary of the Siku Quanshu criticizes Xuehang Insights as“pedantic,impractical and non-neutral”.This evaluation has serious⁃ly affected its spread in later generations.However,a reappraisal of the book reveals that it is quite different from the official argu⁃ments in the early Ming Dynasty in terms of the evaluation of Waiji,emperors,ministers,female rulers and the replacement of suc⁃cessive dynasties,reflecting Zhao Bi's concern for realistic politics and his adherence to Confucian morality.In terms of historical view and historical claim,Xuehang Insights shows the characteristics of closely interwoven progress and tradition.It can be seen that Xuehang Insights surpasses the early Ming Dynasty in both content and thought,and its historical value should be fully af⁃firmed,while the criticism in the Summary of the Siku Quanshu is obviously unfair.This kind of unfair evaluation,in a sense,is al⁃so the epitome and reflection of the complex mentality of Siku compilers,such as opposing the empty talk of the Ming scholars,ad⁃vocating Han Learning and belittling Song Learning,and belittling local scholars.