山田方谷對孟子養氣說的解釋

Yamada Hokoku's Interpretations of the Mencius 2A: 2

本文主旨在探討十九世紀日本陽明學者山田方谷以「氣一元論」為基礎對《孟子‧公孫丑上‧2》「知言養氣」章所提出的解釋。山田方谷對孟子學的解釋在孟子學詮釋史上確實有其創新性，他主張「天地萬物一大氣耳」，這種「氣」亙古今，貫物我，為四方萬國所同具。山田方谷所持的「氣一元論」立場，使他避開了朱子的孟子學詮釋中諸多問題（如「養氣」與「知言」孰先？）的糾纏，別創新解，並對朱子的「理氣二元論」提出有力的批判。但是，山田方谷的孟子學解釋，由於過度強調「氣」化之自然，使孟子養氣理論中的工夫論內涵為之晦而不彰，於孟子學不免有所歧出。

This article discusses the Tokugawa Yang-ming scholar Yamada Hokoku's readings of the Mencius 2A: 2. We hold that Yamada interpreted the Mencius 2A: 2 by the theory of ch 'i which, according to him, pervaded the 'self' and the 'other' and transcended time and space. Yamada's theory of ch 'i made him put aside many problems involved in Chu Hsi's hermeneutics of the Mencius. Therefore, Yamada became able to launch vehement attack against Chu Hsi's li-ch 'i dualism. Moreover, Yamada might over-stress the importance of nature at the expense of culture. This intellectual predilection made him take a detour from Mencius.