明末清初西学对中国传统占星气的冲击与反应:以熊明遇《则草》与《格致草》为例

Chinese Literati’s Response to the Impact of Western Learing on the Divination of Stars’ Qi in Late Ming and Early Qing:A Case Study of Xiong Ming-Yu’s Ze Cao and Ge Zhi Cao

'星体对地(球)的影响学'(astrology)常被简略地翻译为星占学或占星学。自古以来,中西文化发展出不同的占星传统。中国传统占星有其气的根据,认为精气上升形成日月星与天汉,不过,悖气亦可上达天际,造成一些星气现象,可用来占测地表的人事活动的吉凶。相对地,根据古希腊亚里斯多德自然哲学,世界被二分为地球领域与天域。气只存在于地球领域,不能上及天域。只有天域中的星体才可以对地产生影响。明末耶稣会士来华传教而引入古希腊的星学,使得中西两种文化中的星学发生遭遇。笔者发现:在西方自然哲学与其中气论思想的冲击下,中国士人熊明遇觉察到中西对星气看法的差异——主要在于自然哲学与其中气论思想的不同。因此,本文拟从西方星学传入,来探讨熊明遇在《则草》(1620)与《格致草》(1648)中,对传统占星气产生的省思,反映域外文化对传统占星气的冲击与影响。

There are different traditions of astrology developed in Chinese and western cultures respectively.Based upon Chinese traditional natural philosophy of qi,sun,moon,stars and Milky Way are formed by clear qi,nevertheless,bad qi can also move upward toward stars and interrupt their regular motions to make shooting stars as well as comets.In contrast,according to Aristotelian natural philosophy,the universe is divided into two areas;terrestrial and celestial areas.Air exists only in the terrestrial area and can not reach to celestial area.Only stars can have their influences on terrestrial things.Thus,from Greek time to the seventeenth-century astrology meant the influence of stars on the Earth,including its influence on each person while he/she was born or pregnant.In late Ming,Jesuits came to China to propagate Christian doctrines.By teaching western learning to their potential converts,it also made the encounter of astrology between Chinese and western.Under the influences of Jesuits,Xiong Ming-Yu(1579-1646)came to accept Aristotelian natural philosophy,with its alternative explanations of many meteorological phenomena.In his works,Ze Cao and Ge Zhi Cao,he systematically criticized Chinese traditional view of the divination of stars’qi.