≪周易≫ 硏究的課題與方法

Abstract

This paper aims for advocating some important items about subjects and methods, for studying Zhouyi (周易，the Book of Changes) at the present day. Being only a book of divination (占筮）originally, the Book of Changes had been completely unrelated with Confucianism (儒敎）. In addition, older Books of Changes (古易）before the end of the Warring States Period (戰國末期）still had not contained any advanced thoughts of philosophy, ethics, politics and so on. But during times from the end of the Warring States Period untill the beginning of the Western Han Period (西漢初期），Confucians (儒家）adopted the Book of Changes as one of their scriptures (經典），and advanced its Confucianization (儒敎化）through having been writing Yizhuan (易傳，Commentaries on Zhouyi). As a result, interpretations of Liushisi-Gua (六十四卦，the Sixtyfour Divinatory Symbols) and Yizhuan came to containe advanced thoughts of philosophy, ethics, politics, etc.. This paper advocates that process of adaption and development of the Book of Changes from as older books of divinations (古占筮）into as a newly established Confucian Scripture, the Yijing (易經），should be one of the most important subjects for studying the the Book of Changes. Besides, tins paper indicating that when we make a study of this subject, it is one of the most important methods to use positively bamboo and silk manuscripts (簡帛） about divination (占筮）among materials excavated in China in recent years and to find lots of likenesses with older Books of Changes (古易），forwarded sevral research works in the concrete. We should use the Silk Manuscripts (帛書）of Zhouyi (周易）excavated at Mawangdui (馬王堆），the Bamboo Slips (竹筒）of Zhouyi (周易）in the Western Han Period (西漢）excavated at Fuyang (阜陽）， the Bamboo Manuscripts (竹書）of Zhouyi in the Waning States Period (戰國）`s Chu region (楚國）in possession of the Shanghai Museum (上海博物館），and the Bamboo Slips (竹筒）of “Guizang (歸藏）” in the Qin Period (秦）excavated at Wangjiatai (王家台）etc.，it is needless to say. Except for all kinds of these newly excavated Zhouyi，there are a large number of excavated Rishu (日書，Books of Magical Rules about Calendrical Days`) in the Warring States Period, the Qin Period, and the Western Han Period. These all are the books of divination (占筮書）which have the closest relation to older Books of Changes. This paper, therefore, advocates that to recognaize older Books of Changes have the nature of divination (占筮） through using positively these Rishu should become one of the most important methods.