“数”的哲学观念再论与早期中国的宇宙论数理

On the Philosophical Concept of“Number”and the Numerical Principles of Cosmology in Early China

早期中国的“数”观念往往围绕宇宙论和时空观展开,具有浓厚的哲学意蕴。秦简《鲁久次问数于陈起》提出“天下之物,无不用数”的命题,从一个侧面肯定了“万物皆有数”的说法,类似于“数是万物的本原”的观点,阐明了数的普遍性。《史记·律书》和《汉书·律历志》都从哲学高度肯定了“数”的存在。天三地四(或阳三阴四)是盖天说的数理,其依据为《周髀算经》的“圆出于方”说;黄钟一龠之数(八十一分日数)和中数五六是浑天说的基本数理。古人思考了诸数理的统一性,以“天地之数”作为其“数原”。早期中国的宇宙生成论重视“数”的哲学观念(如“道生一”“一生两”等),以及数字“一”的哲学含义。

The concept of“number”in early China often revolved around cosmology and views of space-time,having strong philosophical implications.The Qin bamboo slips Lu Jiuci Asks Chen Qi About Number put forward the proposition that“everything uses number”.Meanwhile,“Heaven-Three-Earth-Four”is the numerical principle of the gaitian(hemispherical dome)theory,and the calendar treatises in the Shi Ji and Han Shu affirm“number”on a philosophical level.The number of Bronze-Bell-One-Yue(81)and the middle numbers(5 and 6)are,in turn,the basic numerical principles of huntian(celestial sphere)cosmology.Further,the ancients thought about the unity of all kinds of numerical principles,and used“the number of heaven and earth”as their“number source”.Early Chinese cosmogony also attached great importance to such philosophical concepts of“number”as“the Dao produced one”and“one produced two”,and paid particular attention to the philosophical meaning of the number“one”.