略論中國傳統文化中的「人定勝天」思想

The Concept "Man Can Overcome Nature" in Traditional Chinese Culture

何澤恆(Chak-Hang Ho)

《臺大中文學報》 33期 (2010/12) Pp. 45-90

https://doi.org/10.6281/NTUCL.2010.33.02

摘要

「人定勝天」是中國習用的成語，本文考論其文字形式雖源出於《史記》申包胥語，但其用義內涵則適得其反。文字從典源輾轉變化而趨於定型，大致完成於北宋蘇軾一門師友；而其含義從負面價值反轉爲正面使用，則始於南北宋之交，南宋以下，漸成主流。此正面用義較多應用在改變人生命運、防禦天災、醫療疾病，以及軍事練兵等四類事項之中；論其思想精神，實與《逸周書》「人強勝天」爲近，其所勝之「天」，皆指覆載生成之偏而言。傳統中國文化淵源於黃河流域的農業大地，其自然地理環境所孕育的人文思想，「天人合一」爲其極則。儒家以人合天，《中庸》、荀子皆莫能外，後世「人定勝天」的思想概無異致。民國以來的詞書，未細究成語的形成與轉變，綜攬爲單一解說，以偏概全，遂致所列書證，多不允洽。近三、四十年新出詞書，又就新變思想，定義爲「人力能夠戰勝自然」，尤與傳統用義的精神相悖。

關鍵字

人定勝天 ； 天定勝人 ； 人眾勝天 ； 人強勝天

並列摘要

”Man can overcome nature” is a common phrase in Chinese. This paper addresses how although it was first used by Shen Baoxu, as recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian, it later came to take on a meaning exactly opposite of its original usage. The phrase went through many transformations over the ages and was most likely solidified in its present form during Northern Song by Su Shi and his pupils. Its meaning began to change from a negative connotation to that of a positive one between the Northern and Southern Song dynasties. During Southern Song, its positive meaning was more popular, being used in discussion on changing one's destiny, preventing calamities, overcoming illness, and training military troops.
With regards to its philosophical thought, it is most closely related to the phrase ”Nature can be overcome through preparedness and efficiency” found in Yi Zhoushu (The Lost Book of Zhou). The term nature' here refers to the divergence in the myriad things in heaven and earth. Traditional Chinese culture originates from the farmland along the Yellow River. The geographical environment there gave rise to the overarching principle that ”Man is an integral part of nature.” Confucians hold that man adapts himself to nature. The Doctrine of the Mean and Xunzi could not but advocate the same thing. The phrase in question ”Man can overcome nature, which came into existence later, most likely falls in with this tradition.
Dictionaries published after the 1911 have not provided a detailed explanation of the formation and transformation of this idiom; rather, they've lumped it all under one definition, thus taking the part for the whole. Many supporting citations listed under the entry were misguided as a result. Dictionaries published in the last 30 to 40 years, in the wake of developments in academic thought, defined the phrase as meaning: ”Man's power can enable him to be victorious over nature.” This is clearly at odds with the traditional meaning and usage.

並列關鍵字

Naturc ； Man ； Ovcrcomc ； Traditional ； Culturc