阮元《疇人傳》之科學思想論析

Science Thinking Analysis of Scientist Biography Written by Ruan Yuan

羅中琦(Jane-Chyi Lou)

《弘光人文社會學報》 2期 (2005/03) Pp. 43-62

https://doi.org/10.29933/SHSS.200503.0004

摘要

明末清初及清末是西方科學傳入中國的重要時機，阮元身為清朝大儒，又生當西學於中國繁盛之際，其所著之《疇人傳》記載了黃帝至清中葉以來中國科學家的生平事跡及研究成果，由此書非但能對中國科學發展有一縱列式的了解，並能知身為儒者的阮元，對此學問所持態度為何。本文由《疇人傳》的編輯取材論起，以進入核心問題─阮元的科學思想，發現阮元乃將科學統整於儒學之中，並將科學當成研究儒術的工具，但可貴者為阮元已能跳脫中國素來迷信的框架，而提倡純粹的科學。此外，阮元亦受到相當程度的西學的啟發，對中西科學的交流他也適度的表達意見，並強化了「西學中源」的說法，以溝通中西古今，因此在阮元的科學世界中，我們所見者其實是以儒為本的一種科學觀，也反映了當時中國在學術上不得不變的困境。

關鍵字

阮元 ； 科學 ； 疇人傳 ； 儒者

並列摘要

It was the critical time when the western of science spread to China in the last time of the Ming Dynasty and beginning of Manchu Dynasty. During this time, Ruan Yuan is an important Confucianism. He wrote a book called Scientist Biography which recorded Chinese scientist achievement and research results from Huang Dynasty to the middle period of Manchu Dynasty. By the book, we can understand the science of China and also can know Confucianism of Ruan Yuan that his attitude of science. This study is to discuss the edition material of the book, Scientist Biography, and to probe into the core problem of his science thinking. The findings of this study are that Ruan Yuan confines the science to the Confuian and a kind of research tool for Confuian. However, Ruan Yuan can jump out of the superstition of China and promotion of pure science. In addition, the western science is some effects of his mind and he provided some exchange of science. Thus, he has a strong thinking of ”the western science is from China”. We can see from Ruan Yuan's science world that the view of science is a Confuian-based and the struggle environment of science in China.