Liu Xin, Creator and Critic

劉歆：創造者與批評家

魯惟一(Michael LOEWE)

《饒宗頤國學院院刊》 創刊號 (2014/04) Pp. 297-323

摘要

Living in the uneasy time of the reigns of Han Chengdi 成帝 and his two successors, and Wang Mang's establishment of his own dynasty, Liu Xin 劉歆 (46 B.C. to A.D.23) contributed basically to what would become China's intellectual tradition and heritage. Best known for the part that he played in the collection and classification of literature, he wrote with a greater degree of initiative and with a more radical frame of mind than his father Liu Xiang 劉向 (79-8 B.C.). A supporter of Wang Mang 王莽(45 B.C.- A.D.23) in intellectual terms, he may well have composed the latter's formal pronouncements, but he died by his own hand after involvement in a plot to overthrow him. Author of several fu 賦, Liu Xin wrote the treatise on Pitch-pipes and calendar (Lü li zhi 律曆志) that is now incorporated in the Han shu 漢書, where he treated astronomy, harmonics, mathematics and history as aspects of a single cosmic system. Recognising the value of some newly found texts, he propounded the virtues of the Zuo zhuan 左傳 and criticised some of his contemporary scholars for their obdurate adherence to their own ideas, irrespective of newly found evidence. His own historical record, the Shi jing 世經, varies from other accounts, both in the sequences of China's mythological rulers and in matters of dating. He argued for the retention of the honorary title conferred on Han Wudi 武帝 on the grounds that he had merited it, and thereby assured the continuity of that emperor's reputation. Against some, Liu Xin wrote in favor of addressing the cults of state to Heaven rather than to other deities. Calling on the Zuo zhuan to explain the occurrences of abnormalities of nature, he was also ready to identify the moral issues that were involved.

關鍵字

Liu Xin ； religion in Han dynasty ； Wang Mang ； imperial library of China ； Zuo zhuan

並列摘要

劉歆生活的年代，是個政局不穩的時期，歷經漢成帝、哀帝、平帝及王莽自立等，他在中國歷史上所做的貢獻主要在於學術史及文化傳承兩個方面。劉歆最為人所知的是他對文獻的蒐集及分類的工作，較諸其父劉向，他的著述體現了更大的自主性和更激進的思想。在學術思想上，劉歆是王莽的支持者，但他卻沒有為王莽撰寫過正式的制誥文書，反而因參與推翻王莽的密謀而自取滅亡。劉歆傳世作品除了幾首賦以外，還著有《律曆志》，收入今本《漢書》，篇中把天文學、天人之學、算術和歷史作為其宇宙論體系中的幾個方面。他重視新獲文獻的價值，提倡《左傳》所述的美德；批評當代學人不理會新發現的資料，而只顧頑固地維護己見。劉歆自著史書《世經》另闢蹊徑，對神話傳說中的王者領袖的事蹟編年，發揮己見。他認為漢武帝的榮譽稱號是實至名歸的，因而確保了這位皇帝的名聲能繼續流傳後世。劉歆在神學思想上有忤逆他人處，在其寫作中他認同君權天授，而不是君權神授。此外，對於《左傳》所載的自然災異現象，劉歆驗諸相關的人為道德並視為天災的因由。

並列關鍵字

劉歆 ； 漢代宗教 ； 王莽 ； 祕府 ； 《左傳》