國家政治目的和理學家教育理想在官學和科舉的結合－－以薛瑄思想為例

The Convergence of the State’s Political Objectives and Neo-Confucian’s Educational Vision in Government Schools and the Civil Service Examinations: A Case Study of Xue Xuan

自宋儒開始，理學家便長期利用書院作為他們宣傳理學的舞臺，尤其是當他們對國家體制中的考試和教育感到失望時。這裏所指的是科舉考試和全國性的官學系統。直到明初，南方的理學家還是積極地從事書院的興建與重修工作，並講學於其中。這些活動有效地為讀書人提供了國家體制外的選項，甚至構成競爭關係。但是來自北方的明初理學之冠薛瑄，卻有著迥然不同的見解和行動。他非但拒絕將自己私人的教育活動規範化為書院活動，他還主張國家育才和選才的政治目的應該和理學家的教育理想結合起來。對薛瑄而言，國家的科舉和官學系統不僅應該以程朱學術為根本，他甚至將自己的哲學核心思想「復性論」的傳播寄託在科舉和官學系統之中。這不僅迫使我們重新思考理學家、書院、官學和科舉的關係，也激發我們去思考理學的南北差異問題。

Neo-Confucians often used private academies as platforms to propogate their teachings. This is especially true when they were dissatisfied with the state apparatus of examination and education, comprised mainly of the civil service examinations and the nationwide system of government schools. In the early Ming, Neo-Confucians from southern China were still practicing their age old tradition of building, renovating, and teaching in private academies, thus effectively positioning themselves as an alternative, if not a challenge, to the state system. However, Xue Xuan薛瑄, the leading Neo-Confucian from northern China believed and acted differently. Not only did he refuse to institutionalize his private educational activities in an academy, he strongly advocated that the state’s objectives of training and recruiting talent should converge with the Neo-Confucians’ educational vision. In his mind, not only should the state’s education and examination system be based on the Cheng-Zhu tradition 程朱學, it should also include his philosophical teachings on “restoring nature.” Thus, on top of reevaluating the relation between Neo-Confucians, academies, government schools, and the civil service examinations, we should also ponder the difference between the ideas of northern and southern Neo-Confucians.