Thinking Affection and Dream: Ego Discourse in Tang Xian-zu’s Four Dreams

本文從晚明時空的思想文化觀點出發，藉由汲取三教性理學中的心理自我（ego）層次，從「復性論」對性與情的定義上，理解晚明知識分子的古典心靈結構理論。在這個心靈結構理論中，劃分文人心理學人與詞人的自我圖式，建立學人/詞人的術語與批評理論，運用此方法探討作品中的「自我論述」（ego discourse），創作主體湯顯祖追求個性展現反映到創作客體「玉茗堂四夢」中精神的自我形塑的過程。一方面挖掘「四夢」作品深層的結構，同時闡明晚明三教會通下的意識型態與作為劇作家存在之「真實」之關係，以中國式思維的「和而不同」，呼應現代社會道德與藝術個體與多元價值共生的時代觀。This study is an attempt to apply psychoanalytic literary criticism to the analysis of classical Chinese literature. In particular, it hopes to modify post-Freudian structural theory to explain the psychic of late Ming literati. Through a study of Tang Xianzu’s Yumingtang Simeng (Four Dreams), I hope to outline his construction of the self by looking at the egoic discourses in these plays. I argue that two distinct images of the self can be discerned, namely: that of the scholar (xueren) who seeks self-perfection, and that of the muse (ciren) who seeks flamboyance. The inner structure of Four Dreams can be revealed by an application of this dualism to show how Tang’s thoughts were affected by late Ming syncretism, and how it relates to modern ideas of value-pluralism