劉師培《理學字義通釋》述要

A Survey of Liu Shih-p'ei's Li-hsueh Tzu-yi T'ung-hsih

《理學字義通釋》是劉師培有關理學思想最重要的一部作品，雖然全書尚未竟成，但是根據該書現有的部份來看，可以說得上是大體已經完備，可以看出劉師培義理思想的主要觀點，有其研究價值。《理學字義通釋》一書，基本上是一部代表清代漢學家自戴震《孟子字義疏証》以來，同類著述的殿軍之作。撰述的基本立場是「欲通義理之學者，必先通訓詁之學」，其揚漢抑宋的意態十分顯明。但是值得注意的是，如果劉師培認為漢學家的說法不夠精確，或有訛誤的話，即使該說是出於許慎、戴震之口，也並不屈從迴護。反之，如果他認為宋明儒的見解正確無誤，也會加以稱述，或為之辯解。可見劉師培撰作《理學字義通釋》，雖然意在「遠師許（慎）鄭（玄）之緒言，近擷阮（元）焦（循）之遺說」，卻並不一味抨擊宋儒，唯漢學是從，而是一部有繼承，有修正，也有發展的著作。

Although unfinished, Li-hsueh Tzu-yi T'ung-hsih is Liu's most important book in regard to his Li-hsueh thought. Based on the extant edition, it is fair to say that Liu's major points have been well explained and are worthy of studying. This book is the last one of its kind in Ch'ing dynasty from Tai Chen's Meng-tzu Tzu-yi Shu-chen on. Its basic assumption is that one who is willing to understand the scholarship of yi-li must understand the scholarship of scholium first. Its standpoint is to promote the scholarship of Han and demote the scholarship of Sung . Yet it is worth noting that if Liu considers a theory inaccurate, even it is proposed by Hsueh Shen or Tai Chen, he will not defense the theory; if he consider a theory accurate he will stand by it even it is proposed by Sung scholars. Therefore we may conclude that Liu's book, though having the goal of passing down the tradition of Hsueh Shen and Cheng Hsuan as well as that of Juan Yuan and Chiao Hsun, is a book which inherits the Han scholarship and modifies it at the same time.