｢高宗諒陰」考

Abstract

<<論語・憲問篇>>子張問「高宗諒陰」章, 係先秦儒家經說影響中國古代喪服制度極爲關鍵之一章。顧 「諒陰」原義爲何?春秋時已失其解 ; 而<<尙書>>所言「高宗諒陰, 三年不言」史事, 因年遠事湮, 孔門當日已不得其詳, 孔子誤以「諒陰」爲居喪之名, 竝據此推證殷代已行「三年之喪｣, 然此與<<尙書>>文義實不相合。本文之用意有三, 一則擬就現存先秦語料, 鉤稽「諒」字湮薶之古義, 考證<<尙書>>「高宗諒陰」之原意 ; 再則藉由西漢新君繼位史事, 推證殷高宗「諒陰不言」之歷史眞相, 以見口傳歷史時代, 史事傳営譌變之樣態 ; 其三則由秦漢學者引例, 分析「高宗諒陰」與「三年之喪」衍生之關係, 竝尋溯儒家「三年之喪」說形成之痕跡。

This article reviews the historical evidence and literary significance of "Gao Zong liang yin" (高宗諒陰), an anecdote centering Gao Zong of the Shang dynasty. The construal of this anecdote has confused many scholars of the Spring and Autumn era, including Confucius. At Lunyu 14 : 40, Zi Zhang asked Confucius, "Why did Gao Zong maintain silence for three years, as written in Shangshu?" In Confucius' opinion, this is a ritual performed to mourn Gao Zong's deceased father. His opinion has served to consolidate the tradition of a 3-year mourning period upon the death of a king or an emperor in China. To retrieve the original context of Shangshu, the author examines ancient literary and historical sources, refers to similar situations in the Han dynasty, and makes analyses on similar terms used by Qin and Han scholars. As a conclusion, this article deduces that Confucius' response to Zi Zhang was in error. The anecdote of Gao Zong has nothing to do with mourning. Instead, it manifests a political decision --a means of self-protection by a new ruler.