理學與皇權——兩宋之際「聖學」觀念的演變

Neo-Confucianism and Monarchical Power: The Evolution of the Concept of “Sacred Learning” in Song China

作為中國思想史上的根本問題，北宋理學的興起向為學者所津津樂道。與理學同時興起的是兩宋政治體制之轉型。從早期錢穆的宋代皇權上升論開始，兩宋皇權與儒家士大夫權威的升降，其中似乎有著某種內在聯繫。劉子健的兩宋轉向內在說、美國學者的地方社會轉向說、余英時與田浩兩位先生的道學研究，都直接或間接回應了這一內在聯繫之問題。從北宋走向南宋，儒學權威與皇權互為消長，而理學作為後世所認為的宋代儒學代表，在與皇權糾纏的過程中如何表述自己？筆者在閱讀思想史文獻的過程中，發現兩宋之際隨著理學興起，理學家們尤其喜歡使用「聖學」一詞。另一方面，「聖學」在宋代政治場域中也常用來指稱帝王之學，尤以經筵為最。本文以為，在中國「政教合一」的大傳統下，宋代精英階層對「聖學」的不同理解，內裡折射的是早期理學史中的皇權影響力。通過考察兩宋之際「聖學」或曰「聖賢之學」的概念演變，本文結合思想史與政治史，探究理學建構過程中的政治因素，從而為研究兩宋思想版圖提供一種新理路。

The rise of lixue/daoxue (neo-Confucianism) as one of the key topics in Chinese intellectual history has been thoroughly discussed by historians. Coeval with the rise of lixue was a transition of political forms during the Song dynasty. Since Qian Mu’s discussion of the rise of monarchism during the Song, crucial frameworks in Song history have reflected on this issue, including the “turning-inward” theory of James T. C. Liu, the “local-turn model” of American historians specializing in Song, Yuan, and Ming history, and the detailed analysis of the dynamic process of Song lixue/daoxue history by Yu Yingshi and Hoyt Tillman. During the transition from the Northern Song to the Southern Song, the relationship between Confucian authority and monarchical power underwent profound changes. How did lixue scholars present themselves in their wrestling match with monarchical power? In my reading of Song intellectual texts, I find that lixue scholars were fond of the term “sacred learning.” The same term was also used by Song scholar-officials in referring to the Song emperors’ private learning. Through an analysis of the two different kinds of “sacred learning” in Song history, especially during the transition period from the late Northern Song to the early Southern Song, this study reveals the influence of monarchical power in shaping lixue history. Hence, it examines the political factor in the construction of lixue and adds a new dimension to historians’ understanding of the Song intellectual landscape.