試論劉向災異學說之轉變 = A Study on the Changing Development of Liu Xiang's Theory of Anomalies

Among the Han theories of anomalies (zaiyi), the one constructed in the Hongfan wuxing zhuan proves to have the most enduring influence in later times. Thanks to the admirable compiling effort of Ban Gu, the Hongfan wuxing zhuan lun, written by Liu Xiang and his son Lui Xin, even become the paradigm for later days’ writing of the records of anomalies. Previous studies on Liu Xiang and Liu Xin, however, have focused on either their political views or their contributions to collecting and assorting literature. Little attention is paid to their theories of anomalies, not to mention their differences in this regard. This article looks at the changing development of Liu Xiang’s theory of anomalies. It argues that the development went through two distinct phases, and that appearance of the Hongfan wuxing zhuanlun marked the transition as well as a significant change in Liu’s theory.