晚明士大夫与“天学”传播

Confucianism, Literati and the Spread of Tian Xue

明清之际,以天主教及西方科学技术为核心内容的“天学”在中国的广为传播受到多方面因素影响,其中士大夫的积极推动起到了极为重要的作用。为了便于天主教在中国的传播,利玛窦对天主教进行了儒学化的包装,这为士大夫最终接纳“天学”扫清了障碍。急于挽救晚明危局的士大夫视“天学”为济世良方,对“天学”的传播倾注了极大的热情,他们的积极推动成为“天学”在中国传播的重要动力,对“天学”的传播产生了重要的影响。明清易代以后,随着时代背景的变化,士大夫阶层对“天学”的热情逐渐消退,“天学”在社会上的影响亦日渐式微。

Tian Xue, with Catholicism and western science & technology as its core content, was spread widely in China during the late period of Ming Dynasty and the early period of Qing Dynasty after Matteo Ricci transformed Catholicism with Confucianism. The Chinese literati played a key role in the process of spreading Tian Xue. Regarding Tian Xue as a good remedy to save the late Ming society from collapse, the literati poured all their enthusiasm into propagating it. After the Qing Dynasty was founded , their immense enthusiasm for Tian Xue faded away, and the influence of Tian Xue gradually weakened.