Comparing the Modes of Thought of Wang Anshi and Sima Guang: Researching by the Viewpoint of “Identity of Phenomena and Reality” ＆ “The Principle Is One But Its Manifestations Are Many”

• Main Authors: Cheng-wei Yuan, 袁承維
• Other Authors: Chun-Hung Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/ur9s88

博士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 政治學研究所 === 105 === This article deals with two modes of thought since the middle age in Tang Dynasty. Two modes of thought are “Identity of Phenomena and Reality”（理事不二） and “The Principle Is One But Its Manifestations Are Many”（理一分殊）. From pre-Qin dynasty to Tang dynasty, intellectuals always discussed what is the most important value by “being” or “non-being”. The Confucianists had emphasized “being” and been good at ruling the state. Buddhist and Taoists had emphasized “non-being” and been skilled at body formation and cultivating the mind. After a catastrophic setback for Tang dynasty（安史之亂）, the situation changed. In order to deal with the political, economical, and social disorder, intellectuals reviewed the traditional knowledge, and argued the position of the Confucian school. For example, Han Yu（韓愈） advocated the Confucianism and constructed the theory in mind and nature for the Confucianism, while Liu Zongyuan（柳宗元） advocated that the Three Doctrines (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism) is useful for different dimensions. The differences of Han''s theory and Liu''s theory lie in different viewpoints and attitude of relation between phenomena and reality on the object of Three Doctrines. After the Tang-Song transformation（唐宋變革）, the intellectuals became the leading roles in politics, and they thought and dealed with the problems by the two modes of thought. If we want to research the two mods of thought, Wang Anshi（王安石） and Sima Guang（司馬光） are proper examples. Since the beginning of the Song dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin（趙匡胤）had valued letters and belittled arms, so the intellectuals controlled the power and wealth between the state and the society. In the middle age in the Northern Song, the state was weaker and weaker, Emperor Shenzong of Song（宋神宗） reformed the state with Wang Anshi. They thought that the state has to gain more wealth by competing annexing. The intellectuals were divided in two groups, and Wang Anshi and Sima Guang were representatives of two groups. Wang Anshi and Sima Guang had different opinions in reform and struggled for the policies about the reform. Wang Anshi was an example of the mode of thought in “Identity of Phenomena and Reality” and Sima Guang was an example of the mode of thought in “The Principle Is One But Its Manifestations Are Many”. The difference of two modes of thought originates from explaining the relation between Li(the Great Rule) and QI(vital energy). Wang Anshi was used to thinking by the formula of “bottom-up” and dispelling the difference, while Sima Guang tended to thinking by the formula of “top-down” and distinguishing. When talking about issues like “permanence versus changes”,“nature and temperament” and “justice versus benefit”, they discoursed by their modes of thought. The policies of education, finance and national defense were effected by these opinions of Wang Anshi or Sima Guang.