“实修”“透性”“致虚”:论王塘南的良知学

Practical Cultivation,Understanding of Human Nature,and Return to Empty:On Wang Tangnan's Theory of Conscience

王塘南是晚明江右王门中的一位重要学者,其思想具有强烈的问题意识。他针对当时思想界“重悟轻修”的谈禅之风和王龙溪的“见在良知”说,而提出“学贵实修”的主张,并反对晚明流行的“三教一致”论,主张“直透本性”,通过“透性”以见儒佛之异。他还对王学末流以知觉情识为良知进行了严厉批评,强调要“致虚归寂”。因而在一定程度上,王塘南的良知学属于一种“救弊”之学,反映了晚明阳明学的发展变化。

Wang Tangnan was an important scholar among the Yangming school in the late Ming Dynasty,with a strong sense of questioning in his thoughts.He opposed the prevailing trend of"valuing enlightenment over cultivation"in the ideological circle at that time and Wang Longxi's theory of"seeing in conscience",and proposed the proposition of"valuing learning and practicing cultivation".He opposed the popular theory of"consistency among the three religions"in the late Ming Dynasty,advocating for"being direct in human nature"and seeing the differences between Confucianism and Buddhism.He also harshly criticized the last generation of Wang Xue for using perception,emotion,and consciousness as conscience,emphasizing the need to"lead to emptiness and return to solitude".Therefore,to a certain extent,Wang Tangnan's theory of conscience belongs to a type of"correcting the drawbacks of learning"theory,reflecting the development and changes of Yangming School in the late Ming Dynasty.