論章太炎晚年的治經困局: 以《春秋左氏疑義答問》為討論中心

有學者最近指出章太炎的「古文經學」，是他於1906年至1910年之間漸次建立的學術觀念，而非接續清代今文學家所指的古文經學而來。本文建基於此研究基礎上，進一步研究章太炎晚年的《左傳》研究。《春秋左氏疑義答問》是章太炎晚年治經的代表作品，本文以此為討論中心，分析書中章太炎實踐其「古文經學」時所呈現的矛盾，以及形成這種矛盾的原因，並說明在經學沒落的大背景下，傳統學人嘗試為經學定位的困局。

Recently scholars have pointed out that Zhang Taiyan’s “old-text classical scholarship” was a concept he set forth during the years 1906 to 1910, and not actually a development from the old-text scholarship of the Qing dynasty. This article builds on this point to examine Zhang Taiyan’s Zuozhuan scholarship during his later years. His representative late work in this area is the Chunqiu Zuozhuan yiyi dawen. This book exemplifes the contradictions that resulted as Zhang put into practice his principles of old-text scholarship. Moreover, it illustrates the challenges faced by scholars attempting to find a role for their field in a period of decline for classical scholarship.