从“历象明时”到“深观阴阳”——阴阳家之流变、方法与旨意综观

From“Observing and Recording Astronomical Phenomena”to“Deeply Observing the Waxing and Waning of Yin-yang”:The Transformation,Method and Purpose of the Yin-yang School

阴阳家较早出现,但直到战国末期才成大盛之局。回到带有“原点”性的《汉志》以探究其原因,则至少要注意学术流变的几个层面:首先,《汉志》与《尚书》同样将阴阳家溯源到历象明时的羲和之官,《宋司星子韦》《吕氏春秋·制乐》《史记·天官书》等反映了古人天象与人事、星变与国变密切关联的文化心理,其与《周易》以“阴阳之义配日月”的诠释模式有着相同的建构逻辑。其次,从载籍上看,《汉志》列“阴阳”于诸子十家,“数术”则别入“略”类。结合《汉志》谓阴阳家末流为“牵于禁忌,泥于小数,舍人事而任鬼神”的“拘者”来看,其所叙录的“数术”六家与能“望气”的南公均可归入阴阳家末流。再次,从方法论上看,无论数术之法还是阴阳之术,或是邹衍求“大祥”“大顺”的大视野,都离不开“深观”、密察、善推甚至占验的神秘色彩与炫化效果。最后,历史上论五德转移的“终始”观念与《终始》之篇,将“阴阳”与“五行”密切关联,蕴成五行相胜的公式,是邹衍之术真正大显于“王公大人”之间而大用于世的主要原因。总之,无论是作为渊源的“历象明时”的史官传统,还是“深观阴阳消息”乃至作为末流的“数术”星占等,都不同程度地体现了先秦诸子“各务为治”的共性,更反映了阴阳家在天下治理层面的现实关切。

The yin-yang school appeared early,but it was not until the end of the Warring States period(475-221 BCE)that it became flourishing.Returning to the Treatise on Art and Literature in Han shu(History of the Western Han Dynasty[206 BCE-220CE])as a starting point to explore the reasons,we should pay attention to at least several aspects of academic developments.First of all,both the Hanzhi and the Book of History trace the origin of the yin-yang school to the xihe official who was responsible for observing and recording astronomical phenomena.Zi Wei—The National Official Observing Astronomy in the Song Dynasty,the chapter“On Making Music”in Springs and Autumns of Master Lü,the“Book of the Heavenly Officials”chapter in the Historical Records,etc.,all reflect the cultural psychology of the ancients that closely linked celestial phenomena with human affairs,the changes of the stars with the changes of the state,which have the same construction logic as the interpretation model of the Book of Changes that reads“the meaning of yin and yang matches the sun and the moon”.Second,from the perspective of ancient scriptures,“yinyang”is listed among the ten academic schools in the Hanzhi,while“the art of calculation”is classified as the category“summary listing”lue略.Those at the end of the yin-yang school were described in Hanzhi as being“hooked”or“constrained”,who“are tied to taboos,mired down in negligible numbers,believe in ghosts and gods but give up human deeds”.Combined with this opinion,both the six schools of the“art of calculation”and Nangong who can“tell qi(material force)”can be classified with those appearing at the end of the yin-yang school.Third,from the perspective of methodology,no matter what techniques of the art of calculation,methods of yin-yang,or Zou Yan's broad vision of seeking“daxiang”(grand auspiciousness)and“dashun”(grand smoothness),it is inseparable from the mysterious and dazzling effect of“deep observation”,close observation,good deduction and even practicing divination.Finally,the concept of“end and beginning”and the chapter of“End and Beginning”on the transfer of five virtues in history,which closely linked“yin-yang”with“five elements”and generated the formula of five elements to conquer each other,are the main reasons Zou Yan's technique really showed up among“princes and the noble class”and was widely used in the world.In a word,whether as the original historiographer tradition focusing on observing and recording astronomical phenomena,or the divination by astrology which“deeply observes the waxing and waning of yin-yang”and even being seen as a late phase of development such as arts of calculation,they all reflect the commonness of the pre-Qin(before 221 BCE)scholars'“dedication to the affairs of governance respectively”on different levels,and also reflect the yin-yang school's practical concerns at the level of statecraft.