《易‧繫辭傳下》說：「《易》，窮則變，變則通，通則久。」「窮」在此處作為「變」的相對概念，有「盡」、「完」、「終端」、「困阨」之意；「變」則意謂「變換」、「轉化」、「新創」，甚至是「回歸」。「窮與變」可視作一體的兩面，因窮而生變是萬物精進、長存之法則。國家、群體乃至個人，若能在困滯中把握突破的契機，則能開展另一條新生大道。舉凡時代之遞嬗、政權之興替、制度之轉型、思潮之更迭、文體與流派之新創、社會階層之移易、經濟環境之革化等，皆可納入「窮與變」之論述範疇。
In Part II of the “Commentary on the Appended Judgments” in the Book of Changes, there is a line that says, “The principle of the Book of Changes is that when a matter has run its course (qiong), it will change (bian). Through change, it will move forward and develop, and through this process achieve duration.” The term qiong (a matter running out its course) is relative to the term bian (to change), and means “to reach the end,” “to finish,” “end point,” or “to be in dire straits”; and the term bian means “to change,” “to transform,” “to create,” and could even mean “to return”. Qiong and bian can be seen as complementary opposites, regulating advancement and permanence. For a country, a group or an individual, to seize the opportunity for a breakthrough in a difficult situation often opens up new paths of regeneration. Therefore, period change, regime replacement, institutional evolution, succession of intellectual systems, new developments in literary forms and schools, shifts in social class, economic reform, etc., can all be discussed under the topic of “limits and mutations”. |
