重探「近思錄，四子之階梯」

Reexamining“the Jinsilu as the Ladder to the Four Books”

陳淳錄「四子，六經之階梯；近思錄，四子之階梯」，為朱子歿後弟子爭議的問題之一，黃榦一開始便質疑此非朱子之意。近來不少學者對此問題重新探究，不過仍眾說紛紜，莫衷一是，原因在於對「四子」的理解不同，或曰《四書》，或以為北宋四子。從語錄的角度檢視陳淳的記錄，亦能在朱子著作中找到相同的意思，故這句話應最大程度的優先以陳淳的解釋為第一義。二人意見分歧的關鍵在於黃榦強調《大學》是入學基礎，不可更易；陳淳認為欲解孔孟不傳之秘旨，當從北宋四子為鎖鑰窺測其蘊，則《近思錄》乃是入道方法。如此看方能釐清黃榦與陳淳的爭議，也才能真正理解朱子對初學入道的看法。而朱子《四書章句集注》正是以入道之法注入學之書的集大成者。

Following Zhu Xi’s death, his statement,“The Four Books serve as the ladder to the Six Classics; the Jinsilu (Reflections on Things at Hand) serves as the ladder to the Four Books,”as recorded by Chen Chun, led to considerable dispute among his students. Huang Gan, for instance, expressed doubts about the interpretation of Zhu’s statement and argued that it did not align with Zhu’s philosophical thought. In recent years, numerous scholars have revisited this issue; however, interpretations remain diverse and inconclusive, primarily due to differing interpretations of the“sih xih (四子)”—some equate it with The Four Books, while others associate it with the Four Masters of the Northern Song. While Zhu’s statement was recorded as a quote in Chen’s writing, similar ideas can be found in Zhu’s other works; therefore, Chen’s interpretation of the quote should be seen as the first and foremost valid argument regarding Zhu’s thought. Moreover, the divergent views between Chen and Huang stem from Huang’s emphasis on the Great Learning (Daxue) as the foundation and unshakable principle for the path to academic Confucianism. Chen, however, contended that the key to understanding the puzzle of long periods without Confucius-Mencius sages should be analyzed through the wisdom apprehended by the Four Masters; additionally, the Jinsilu should be considered as an introduction to the practice of Confucianism, which serves as the access to the Way. Asserting that Zhu’s Four Books of Notes to Sentences represents a comprehensive compilation that features both the practice of Confucianism and academic Confucianism, this article sheds light on the disputes between Chen and Huang as attempt to bring insight into a deeper understanding of Zhu’s views on the beginner’s Confucian approach to the Way.