Unveiling the Subtlety of “Yin-Yang” and “Movement-Stillness” : A Hermeneutic Study of the Xici's Inaugural Chapters

“阴阳”“动静”发微—《系辞》开篇章句阐义

In the philosophical system of the Xici (Great Commentary), the relational structure and metaphysical foundation between the core categories of “Yin-Yang” and “movement-stillness” have long been subjects of scholarly ambiguity. This study takes the opening proposition of the Xici - “Heaven is honored and Earth is humble; thus Qian-Kun are established” - as its hermeneutic entry point. Through a phenomenological lens (particularly informed by Maurice Merleau-Ponty's theory of spatial constitution), it investigates how the cosmic order of the Qian-Kun world finds its grounding in human embodied perception. Through systematic exegesis of philosophical principles, the paper reveals that the Xici employs “the constancy of movement and stillness” as its pivotal axis, thereby integrating the conceptual implications of “the firm and yielding manifesting the images of day and night.” This analysis further clarifies the intrinsic connections between key conceptual nodes including “Yin-Yang,” “firmness-yielding,” and “day-night.” A comparative examination of Zhou Dunyi's Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate and Mao Qiling's interpretive framework demonstrates distinct approaches: Zhou resolves the ontological debate regarding the primacy of Yin-Yang versus movement-stillness through his doctrine of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji), while Mao proposes an innovative interpretation where both Yin and Yang inherently contain aspects of movement and stillness, thereby refining the theoretical structure towards greater systematic coherence. From the original Xici framework to later philosophical interpretations, this investigation traces the dynamic developmental trajectory of Yin-Yang and movement-stillness relations. This progression not only highlights the open-textured nature of Xici thought but also reveals the theoretical space it provides for diverse interpretive traditions (such as Neo-Confucianism and Qi-philosophy) to construct their distinctive philosophical architectures.

在《系辞》的哲学体系中，“阴阳”与“动静”作为核心范畴，其关系结构及其形上依据历来难明。本文以《系辞》开篇“天尊地卑，乾坤定矣”作为切入点，通过征引现象学视角（如梅洛-庞蒂的空间构成理论），探讨乾坤世界的秩序根基如何通过人的具身性感知得以确立。通过义理疏证，本文揭示了《系辞》以“动静有常”为枢纽，贯穿“刚柔者，昼夜之象”的内涵，并进一步疏通了“阴阳”“刚柔”“昼夜”等纲目的内在关联。对比周敦颐《太极图说》与毛奇龄的诠释可知，前者通过“太极”本体消解阴阳动静的本源之争，后者则提出“阴阳”各自兼具“动静”的解释，推动义理结构趋向精致圆融。从《系辞》原初框架到后世哲学家的阐释，呈现出“阴阳动静”关系的动态发展脉络，既凸显《系辞》思想的开放性，也为不同学派（如理学、气学）的诠释提供了理论空间。