英文摘要
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This study aims to re-examine our previous critiques of Qing research by looking at Tan Xian's diary. As one of the erudite traditional literati in the late Qing, ”following the path of inquiry and study” (dao wenxue), he could not help but be deeply influenced by sinological textual research; yet in addition he adopted methods of literary criticism to assess academics. In this light, his criticism is distinctive from that of his contemporaries. From the standpoint of value, Tan Xian most agreed with Zhuang Shuzu of the Changzhou line, in his high estimation of the Confucian political thought in the Western Han Dynasty. Critically, he was also able to utilize Zhang Xuecheng's method of ”exploring academic development from bibliography” (liuluexue) to rank the evolution of academics. Tan Xian uniquely combined these two perspectives in judging academics. This is the basis of a model for observing academic value: first, one investigates its diachronic and synchronic aspects through ”exploring academic development from bibliography”; then, one decides whether or not one can draw out the subtleties of its expression as a criterion for judging academic superiority or inferiority. For example, by investigating how written articles evolved, he could discuss academic developments from early Qing to the Qian-Jia period. And based upon the degree of involvement of political discourse in classical studies, he criticized Dai Zhen, who often challenged neo-Confucian scholars on small points, on the grounds that his viewpoints were too narrow and restricted. Even though his critique of the Changzhou School seems to be an overestimation that deserves scrutiny, it at least provides us with a way to know what concerned Changzhou scholars. In sum, what concerned him was Qian-Jia textual-critical research rather than the process of bringing western science and technology to China. In a word, Tan Xian's critiques of Great Scholars of the early Qing and of the Cheng-Zhu school require further study and investigation.
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