王国维的商周史研究与“二重证据法”的提出

Wang Guowei's Research on the History of Shang and Zhou Dynasties and the Proposal of“Double Evidence Method”

在1911至1922年间,王国维最核心的学术身份是经学家,他的史学研究主要为经学服务。王国维推崇乾嘉学派,但又认识到仅靠传世文献研究经史存在的弊端,故提出将新发现的甲骨文、金文与传世文献相结合的新型学术方法,即“二重证明法”。1923年后王国维的学术重心开始向辽、金、元及西北地理等纯历史领域转变,其学术的经学色彩渐趋淡化。然而1923年以顾颉刚为代表的古史辨派在学术界掀起了规模空前的疑古思潮,传统的古史体系遭到全面质疑和否定,同时也变相摧毁了尧、舜、禹等古圣王为核心的儒家道统。在疑古思潮的刺激下,王国维的经学家身份再次激活。1925年他在《古史新证》中试图利用“二重证据法”以证明古书与古史可信,目的在于通过维护古史来巩固经学的权威性。本质上则是利用经学思维解决史学难题。

Between 1911 and 1922,as a classical scholars,Wang Guowei's historical research mainly served for his study of Confucianism classics.He valued the Qianjia School,but also recognized the drawbacks of study of Confucian classics and history relying solely on passed down literature.Therefore,he proposed a new research method that combines newly discovered oracle bone inscriptions,bronze inscriptions with passed down literature,known as the“double evidence method”.After 1923,Wang Guowei's academic interests shifted towards historical research such as study of Liao,Jin,Yuan,and Northwest geography,and his academic interests on study of Confucian classics gradually flagged.While the School of evaluations of ancient historiography,represented by Gu Jiegang,sparked an unprecedented trend of skepticism in 1923.The traditional system of ancient history was questioned and denied,while also indirectly destroying the Confucian orthodoxy centered around ancient sages such as Yao,Shun,and Yu.Under the stimulation of critique of ancient history,Wang Guowei's identity as a classical scholar was once again activated.In 1925,he attempted to use the“double evidence method”in New Evidence of Ancient History to prove the credibility of ancient books and history,establishing the authority of Confucian classics by defending ancient history.Essentially,he was using Confucian thinking to solve historical problems.