在當代學術研究體系中,對清代考據學的評價一直趨于兩個極端,一種觀點認為考據學只具有尋究古典文獻來源的技術含義,沒有什么"思想性",另一種觀點則極力論證清代考據學具有不同于宋明儒學的新"義理",并不缺乏"經世"意義。更有甚者,考據學被認為是最具有"準科學"性質的學問,與西方近代學術傳統可以構成對話關系。本文擬對以往學界流行的清代考據學評價模式進行反思和梳理,以分析其利弊得失。

The contemporary academic research on the textual criticism of the Qing Dynasty at opposite poles. One view is that the textual criticism is only meaningful in seeking the sources of classical literature, but it isn’t thoughtful, while the opposite view strongly advocates that the textual criticism contained new Confucianism which is different from Song Ming Confucianism, and it is practical. Some scholars even believe that the textual criticism responding to the western modern academic was a kind of quasi-scientific learning. This article rethinks the assessment models of textual criticism and their pros and cons.