默識天人之際——薛敬軒理學思想探微

Abstract

薛敬軒（1389—1464）為明初著名的程朱學者之一，他的思想不僅較為完整地承繼了北宋五子與朱子的學脈，又因應著時代課題而體現出不同的風貌，其所開創的河東學派，也深深影響著明代前半期的學風。在學界現有的研究成果尚屬有限的情況下，本論文試圖透過「生命型態的追尋」與「思維理路的探索」，以求把握薛敬軒為人為學的核心精神與運思方式；並藉由「哲學體系的開展」與「思想史脈絡的梳理」，一方面將敬軒思想的理論架構儘可能地勾勒出來，一方面在動態的思想史脈絡中，為其找到適當的定位，以突顯其學說的意義與價值。

第一章「緒論」首先揭櫫研究的動機與題旨，並依次對研究之心態、方法、架構、限制等論文構成要項做一總述。第二章「薛敬軒的為人與為學」，則分別從人格氣象、學脈傳承、治學理念、終極關懷等角度切入，期望在對敬軒思想做細部論析之前，能對其人格學問的總體精神有一番親切而準確的把握。

第三章「薛敬軒的天道論」、第四章「薛敬軒的天人思想與心性論」及第五章「薛敬軒的工夫論與工夫實踐」，全面展開敬軒理學思想的各個環節，對其思想體系與義理內涵做較為細膩的闡析與詮釋。從而看出敬軒如何吸納與繼承宋代理學的重要概念；如何補充與發展朱子學說的不足；又如何在生命意境上，融合北宋五子與朱子，展現出個人的獨特風格。

第六章「薛敬軒思想在理學史上的定位」，則以前述各章的論述成果為依據，將視野放大至宋明理學發展史中，嘗試給予敬軒之學一個如實恰當的定位。首先提出「觀理傳統」與「觀心傳統」的新用語，總括宋明理學家的兩大工夫型態，並探討敬軒之學在這兩大源流中的位置；其次從思想史的角度切入，檢視朱學成為官方學術後流傳發展的實際情況，藉以突顯敬軒之學所擔負的時代任務以及思想史上的意義。

第七章「結論」簡要地總結全篇論旨，並將眼光拉回研究者所處的當代，提出個人的心得與省思。

Xue Xuan (1389-1464) is one of the famous scholars in Cheng-Zhu School in early Ming Dynasty. His thinking not only more thoroughly inherited the theory of the Five Masters of the Northern Song and Zhu Xi , but also incarnated different styles while his work also accommodated fashion trends in the age. He established He Dong School , also casting great influences on the study style in early Ming Dynasty. When there are still limited study results in today’s academia, this study tries to catch the core spirit and thinking logic of Xue’s conduct and learning by“searching for life forms”and “exploring the threads of thoughts”. Also by“developing philosophic system”and “dressing threads of the intellectual history”, this study, on one way, draws the outline of Xue’s theory structure as far as possible, and on the other, finds a proper position in the dynamic intellectual history to carve out the significance and value of Xue’s study.

In Chapter One“Introduction”, the study first states the study motives and subjects, and briefly introduces each structural item in this thesis, from thoughts to conduct this research, methods, the structure and limitations in turn. In Chapter Two“Xue Xuan’s Conduct and His Learning”, the study then analyses it from aspects of Xue’s personality, learning origin and inheritance, reasons to do scholarly research and ultimate concern. It is hoped to have a decent and accurate understanding on his personality and knowledge in terms of his overall spirit, before Xue’s thinking has been brought out for a more detailed discussion and analysis.

In Chapter Three“Xue Xuan’s Theory of Heavenly Way”, Chapter Four“Xue Xuan’s Theory of the Relationship between Heaven and Man and Theory of Mind and Nature”and Chapter Five“Xue Xuan’s Theory of Moral Effert and its Practice”, this study elaborates all segments in Xue’s thinking to have a more detailed analysis and explanation on his thinking system and implications. From here we can see how Xue Xuan absorbed and inherited important concepts in Neo-Confucianism in Song Dynasty, how he made up and developed the deficiency in Zhu Xi’s Study and also how he integrated theories of the Five Masters of the Northern Song and Zhu Xi to show his own unique style in terms of human life’s prospect.

Chapter Six“The Position of Xue Xuan’s Thinking in the History of Neo-Confucianism”, based on previous discussion,expands the view to the Neo-Confucianism Development History during Song and Ming Dynasty, trying to appropriately position Xue Xuan’s Study. At first, new phraseology“The tradition to view Principle”and “The tradition to view Original Mind”are created to sum up the two major Gongfu forms presented by Neo-Confucianism Scholars in Song-Ming Dynasties and to discuss the role of Xue’s theory in the two mainstreams at the time. Then, from the aspect of the intellectual history, this study analyzes and views the actual situation after Zhu Xi’s study was presented to be the authorized learning, so as to highlight the mission of Xue’s time and the meaning of his study in intellectual history .

Chapter Seven“Conclusion”briefly summarizes this study, draws the view back to researcher’s living year and addresses his own opinion and thinking.