惠栋“求古”之学的义理生机

Reconsidering Hui Dong's“following the model of 6 gu xun'”Methodology:On Hui Dong's Pursuit of“gu”as a Pursuit of Meanings

惠栋虽然以“古训是式”为宗旨,但并非如徐复观先生所理解的那样为考据学或训诂学张目。恰恰相反,惠栋此语是要扩大、丰富训诂学的意涵。惠栋一再申说的“诂训”“故训”等等,强调的重点在于“古”,而非语言学意义上的“训”。他把“古训”与“雅言”并提,相对于雅的是俗,相对于古的是今。由此宣告了他的学术是要追求古雅,遮拨今俗。“古”固然可以指研究的对象,更是一种经学方法。惠栋对于汉代易学的继承,不是奉汉儒的任何一句话为圭臬,而是深入到他们的家法和义理之中,在不违背其家法、义理的前提下,对于具体的注释有选择、有辨析、有修正。这绝非是戴震所谓的“信古而愚”或者王引之指责的“不论是非”。

This paper argues that we should not understand Hui Dong's methodological principle,“following the model of‘gu xun'”,as advocacy for the study of textual criticism.Disagreeing with Xu Fuguan,I contend that by proposing “following the model of‘gu xun'”Hui Dong meant to broaden the horizon of textual criticism and emphasize the pursuit of“gu(antiquity)”instead of“xun(glossary)”,since in Hui Dong's mind,the antithesis of“gu xun”was the recent,vulgar understandings of the classics.As such,I propose that Hui Dong treated“antiquity”as not only the subject for his study of the classics but also his methodology to pursue their meanings.This methodology is reflected in his study of Yijing,in which he followed the Han school of Yijing through probing into their modes of interpretation,instead of taking their words at face value.In fact,Hui Dong actively engaged himself in selectively adopting and critically reappraising the Han commentaries in his study of Yijing.Therefore,I suggest that Dai Zhen and Wang Yinzhi were unfair to criticize him as“ignorant for over-trusting words of antiquity”or“confusing right and wrong.”