蔡襄(1012-1067)是宋代著名書法家，特別和蘇軾、黃庭堅、米芾等三人共列「宋四家」之名受到歷代書法界所重視。但相較三位書法家作品強烈的個人風格，蔡襄的書法表現特別著重於典雅、復古的特色，這一現象一直引起學者們的注意。 許多學者認為，蔡襄能列名四家之一乃出於政治正確的考量，若細就其作品根本無法處於一流書家之列。關於蔡襄是否有資格列名四家之一，其書家地位應該如何認定的討論自北宋中期至日未曾停歇。本文便著眼於此進行討論，主要從蔡襄所處的北宋開始，到明代「宋四家」之說定案止，分別就書法風格影響力的起伏與文人討論所呈現的文化價值觀兩方予以討論。 耙梳資料後顯示，蔡襄的書風影響力數百年未曾稍止，而他全力提振書法藝術地位的努力也的確受到後世評論者的肯定。擺脫純粹風格的品評，將蔡襄置於歷史的脈絡中，他足以與蘇、黃、米分庭抗禮的地位便更為確立了。

Tsai Hsiang (1012-1067) has been known as one of the ‘Four Calligraphic Masters of the Sung Dynasty’, together with Su Shih, Huang T’ing-chien, and Mi Fu. However, many scholars have pointed out that Tsai’s works are more classical in style compared with the other three’s strong personal touches, and they think that it was political considerations, rather than his dubious art accomplishment, that made Tsai one of the Four Masters. Was he qualified as one of the great four? And how should we treat him as an artist? These questions have been seriously debated since the mid-North Sung Dynasty. This paper would like to discuss the questions from a historical perspective, focusing on the changes of calligraphic styles and the cultural values of the literati between Tsia’s own time and the Ming Dynasty when “the Four Masters” had been well established. We find that Tsai had a profound and lasting influence on calligraphic art over the hundreds of years after his death, and his efforts to promote the status of calligraphy as an art had been greatly appreciated by critics later. In evaluating Tsai’s artic status, we should first get rid of the obsession with pure style examination, place him in historical context, and then his reputation as one of the Four Masters would certainly look more secured.