Study in the Era of the Republic of China on the Genres and Thoughts of the School Adopting Historical Annotation on YiJing (the Book of Changes)
Abstract
It has been a history about the development of the School adopting historical annotation on I Ching. In the Qing dynasty, the ministers of Siku (四庫) had divided the schools of I Ching into two parties and six sections. Though the division is simple, it is a commentary to guide all scholars of past ages to study the I-ology History and also a basis for researching the schools of I-ology. However, from late Qing dynasty till the Republic of China established in 1911, even to now, the diffusion of Western learning have made some problems for those studies on the I-ology History about the schools, types and thoughts of I-ologist.
This dissertation takes two aspects--“traditional” and “historical” presented by Prof. Zheng Ji-xiong as the basis for observation. This dissertation is also according to Prof. Huang Zhong-tian’s argument that “the school adopting historical annotation on I Ching” includes two types--“the confirmation of I Ching with history ” and “the confirming I Ching with unearthed historical materials” . So the study will research the thoughts and characteristics of the four important I-ologists in Taiwan and Mainland China After 1911.
Zhang Ji-can and Zhang Ting-rong advocated that I Ching is philosophical and can be proved by historical events , so their I-ology belong the type-- “traditional” and “the confirmation of I Ching with history ”. There are the combination of Han-I and Song-I, and the fusion of Confucianism and Taoism in their published books, Zhang Ji-can’s《Shao-chun Talk about I Ching》and《Shao- chun Study I Ching》, and Zhang Ting-rong’s 《The Handbook of I Ching》. Qu Wan-li had devoted his attention to the oracle bones, inscriptions on the ancient bronze and unearthed cultural relics, such as the Han and Wei Jin Shi Ching, etc. He also expanded Wang Guo-wei’s “Dual evidence” to correct《Zhou Yi》and used the “historical materials” to examine 《Zhou Yi》. It is a great contribution on bibliology, archaeology and Shi Ching. In his published book《Three Kinds of Reading about I Ching》, he also used “the confirmation of I Ching with history ”. He adopted the I Ching Textual Research in Qing dynasty and historical study on I Ching in late Qing Dynasty till the Republic of China. Qu Wan-li further interpreted I Ching as “science as the feature of interpretation”. So he can be promoted as an important representative of the type “the confirming I Ching with unearthed historical materials.” Liu Bai-min wrote two books 《Understanding Zhou Yi in Physic and Philosophy》 and《Preface on I Ching in Physic and Philosophy》. The former combined two types “the confirmation of I Ching with history ” and “the confirming I Ching with unearthed historical materials”, while the latter tried to follow the Song school and adsorb the Western learning, in addition to expand “the School adopting historical annotation on I Ching” to “the Physic and Philosophy on I Ching.” It is real great creation.