去向堪忧的中国古典学——“走出疑古时代”述评

1992年,李学勤先生提出“走出疑古时代”的口号,十多年来,“走出疑古”已经成为一种思潮,对学术界和整个社会发生了广泛而深刻的影响。“重新估价中国古代文明”、“对古书的第二次反思”、“重写学术史”是与“走出疑古”密切相关的三个命题,其中“重估”是目的,“重写”是前提,“反思”则是“重估”和“重写”得以落实的根据。三者彼此互动,构成一个有内在逻辑关系的“走出疑古”论点体系。李先生以“走出疑古”为特征的“释古”与冯友兰的“释古”意向不同,与郭沫若的“古代研究”、李济的“考古重建”也旨趣有异,其最为崇奉的宗师是王国维。王国维的“二重证据法”和“古史新证”模式被李先生奉为“释古”的典范。李先生一直致力于以考古材料、简帛佚籍和“史实素地”论印证古书、释证古史,以期重新确立古书古史的可靠性权威,但是言辞始终含蓄委婉,是其追随者们的“证古”、“正古”及“现代古史史料学基本概念”等主张让“走出疑古”的内涵和走向明朗化、理论化。围绕古书、古史的考释及方法、规范等问题,“疑古”和“走出疑古”已经是狭路相逢、短兵相接。实际上,这已经不只是“疑古”和“走出疑古”之间的纠纷,更是关系中国学术未来走向的重大问题。

The Chinese Classical Studies with an Anxious Tendency--Narration and Commentary on "Transcending the Era of Historical Skepticism"

In 1992,Lee Xueqin advocated the proposition of "transcending the era of historical skepticism".From then on,it has formed a kind of ideological trend,exerting a widespread and profound influence on the academic circle and even the whole society."Re-estimating the ancient Chinese civilization","the second retrospection of the ancient books" and "rewriting the academic history" are the three propositions in close relevance with "transcending the historical skepticism",in which "re-estimating" is the purpose,"rewriting" is the premise,and "retrospection" is the basis to implement the "re-estimating" and "rewriting".The three together constitute an ideological system of "transcending the historical skepticism".Lee's "interpreting the ancient history" is neither the same as Feng Youlan's "interpreting the ancient history" on intention,nor the same as Guo Moruo's "studies of ancient society" or Lee Ji's "reconstruction through archaeology".The master of he held in greatest admiration is Wang Guowei.Wang's mode of "twice evidences" and "new testimony of the ancient history" is looked upon as the paradigm of "interpreting the ancient history" by Lee.In the hope of establishing once again the authority of ancient books and ancient history,Lee has been devoting himself to confirming the ancient books as well as interpreting and proving the ancient history through archaeological materials,bamboo slips,lost works and "basic historical element" of legends,but his words have always been fairly mild.But it is the propositions such as "proving the ancient history","amending the ancient history" and "fundamental concepts on philology of the modern studies of ancient history" advanced by his followers that have clarified the intension and trend of "transcending the historical skepticism".Around the questions such as what is the standard of belief or disbelief for ancient books and ancient history,the "historical skepticism" and the proposition of "transcending the historical skepticism" have come into unavoidable confrontation.Actually,it is not only the dispute between the two,but also a significant problem concerning the future of Chinese academics.