十六世紀上半葉,是陽明學形成、建立、終至蓬勃發展的時期。王陽明化朱子學的支離為易簡,去「分兩」之繁而重「成色」之精,強調通過致良知的工夫,即能豁顯自心、趨向聖道。這一嶄新的成聖論述,在陽明個人及其弟子的努力下,很快地風行天下,造成深廣的影響。十六世紀下半葉,陽明學進入二、三傳,由於心學本身的靈活性,後學們容易依循各自的生命體驗、因應各自的時代課題,發展出風格相異的思想,學風也因而發生變化。本文以先後活躍於晚明思想舞台的羅近溪、管東溟為主要線索,將其置放在思想史的脈絡中,分析其成聖論述的具體內涵,從而觀察心學理論之間批判性的繼承關係,以及由專主「成色」至兼重「分兩」的變化態勢,藉此略窺晚明多樣化的心學圖景。
Wang Yang-Ming establishes and flourishes his thought school in the first half of the sixteenth century. He simplifies Zhu Xi's teachings with his sagehood discourse that advocates scrutinizing one's conscience when emphasizing quality more than quantity. With Wang and his students' efforts, this brand-new theory quickly prevails and impacts the academic circles. In the second half of the sixteenth century, Yang-Ming school advances into its second and third generations. The flexibility it introduces facilitates later scholars to develop different thoughts with their own life experiences and social issues, and this growth changes the whole academic atmosphere. This article starts with late Ming thought activists Luo Jin-Xi and Guan Dong-Ming, analyzes the contents of their sagehood discourse in the context of Chinese thought history, observes the transmission among mind theories and their change from quality to quantity, and glances at the various mind theory patterns in the late Ming.