論王船山「陰陽」觀念的本體論意義

Wang Chuan-Shan on the Ontological meanings about Yin-yang

在中國哲學史上，陰陽的觀念經過相當長時間的演變，發展成為宇宙間兩種不同的基本元素或氣，用以說明萬物的起源及其變化的法則。宋儒在根據《易傳》建立儒家的天道論時，大致有一共同特色：即把陰陽當作形而下的器，並非萬物的本體；本體乃是形而上的太極或道體。這一來，不免造成形上、形下二元對立的局面。王船山批判此種說法，認為本無陰陽的太極如何能從「無中生有」而生出陰陽來？船山提出「陰陽一太極之實體」的理論，主張陰陽或氣就是宇宙本體，太極或道體乃是陰陽之氣固有的主宰分劑之大用；兩者雖有異名，其實則一。但是，船山既以陰陽為本體，陰氣、陽氣又是性質截然不同之二物，那麼，吾人是否可說船山的本體論乃是陰陽二元論？本文將指出，船山之陰陽乃是「合兩端於一體」者，他提出「本體則一，效用則二」的方法，建立陰陽一元之本體論；並由此展現陰陽為恆動恆運，生生不息之本體，是動靜之主體，非因動靜而始生。

On the history of Chinese philosophy, for explaining the origin where all things were come from and the rules that cause them into changes, for a long time, the idea of yin-yang had developed and become two differently fundamental substances or Chi. When the Confucian school of the Song Dynasty constructed the heavenly order of Confucianism according to the doctrine of I, they did unanimously assert that yin-yang or Chi was not the ultimate entity but tai-chi or Tao was. According to Wang Chuan-Shan, thus assertion will result in the dichotomy between tai-chi and yin-yang, and will be criticized as “making something out of nothing.'' Consequently Wang proposes the theory about the “being of tai-chi and yin-yang,” asserts yin-yang or Chi is the ultimate entity of all things; and yin-yang or Chi in itself has the force that controls and governs the development of things, the name of tai-chi or Tao just means the force. Because yin Chi and yang Chi are both different in their nature separately, therefore Wang asserts yin-yang is the entity, whether or not we can conclude that his ontology is a theory of dichotomy. It is pointed out in this paper that Wang Chuan-Shan's theory of yin-yang is a monism. He submits the method of “it is One when we annotate it through the level of substance; it is also two which we annotate it through the level of function, ” to build up the ontological theory so as to develop the eternal movement and flourishing entity. Chi of yin-yang is the subject of still and movement rather than the cause still and movement of tai-chi.