作为古代西方科学，尤其是天文学和数学的代表人物，克劳狄乌斯·托勒密著作颇丰，《地理学》也是其中之一。无论就古希腊科学的成就而言，还是对近代早期世界观念的影响，该书都有举足轻重的历史地位。但一方面，相比于《至大论》在科学史研究中的崇高地位，学界对该书的研究一直缺乏足够重视；另一方面，专业托勒密研究往往又片面强调其超时代性，盛行某种基于实证研究进路的辉格史解读。有鉴于此，本文主张从特定时代的知识语境出发，重新回到该作品的知识源流理论资源、方法构造和后世影响的讨论中。通过追溯《地理学》的发生史，提出其不应被视为现代意义上单纯的制图学或数学书写，而应当放在古代地理学传统中加以理解。本研究揭示了该书在古代地学的光谱之内对“世界制图”的侧重，继之从计量体系的数学基础、地理测量和数据来源、数据的处理与编目等三方面还原其理论建构，由此延伸到对托勒密的三种平面制图法的讨论，并借助与古代视学、几何学与天图绘制技术的比较，指出了其几何设计中的“相似性”和“合比例性”原则。在定量分析之外，本研究还对《地理学》世界图像加以定性探讨，更为直观把握该书对古代地理图景、视野和想象的制图呈现，并辅以历史地理层面的史料旁证。最后，借助该作品在文艺复兴时期拉丁西方的复兴、传播和接受史探讨，其作为思想变革的重要节点与新兴思潮间的复杂关联得以展现，由此对一度流行的 “进步”或“革命”叙事形成反驳。通过对托勒密《地理学》的文本细读、理论体系和世界图像的分析、传播叙事的重塑，本研究就其科学史和思想史地位给出更为全面的综合性论述，并期望在如下方面做出贡献：第一，基于语境主义的治史态度，阐明托勒密的地理学体系是如何从古代西方知识土壤中逐步成形的，进而推动其科学史重构；第二，厘清托勒密地理制图方法的理论资源和技术逻辑，揭示其与地学、天学、视学等古代西方学术的内在关联，明确其真正的创造性与科学史意义所在；第三，结合不同学科视角以及定量与定性研究，重述《地理学》及其世界图像的演化史和接受史，驳斥科学革命叙事中普遍存在的误解，为重新理解近代以前地理与制图观念的革新，乃至科学本身提供新的可能性。
As an outstanding figure of ancient Western science, Claudius Ptolemy has written many works in diverse domains, with Geography (or Geographical Hyphegesis) being one of them. The book plays a significant role in the history of science and ideas, due to its achievements in ancient Greek science as well as its influence on the concept of the world in the early modern times. However, modern scholars did not pay much attention to the compilation, commentary and research of the work, and ironically, professional Ptolemy researchers usually overemphasized its “supracontemporaneity” and based their narratives on the Whiggish interpretation of history. Therefore, this study aims to return to the discussion of the pre-history, context of knowledge, theoretical system and the history of reception of the work with the help of conceptual analysis and text close reading. By tracing the origin of ancient geography, I claim that Ptolemy’s Geography should not be regarded as modern cartography or pure mathematical writing, but could be understood in the ancient Greek geographical tradition. This study reveals the theoretical premises of the work in three aspects: the mathematical traditions of metrology system, geographic measurement and data source, data processing and cataloging method. Then the discussion is extended to the three most important map projection of Ptolemy in the book, by the comparison with the methodology of the ancient optics, geometry and celestial mapmaking, so as to reveal the principles of "similarity" and "proportionality" hidden behind. In addition to quantitative analysis, this study also shows the world image of Geography qualitatively, supplemented by the materials in the field of the historical geography. Finally, by discussing of its reappearance, circulation and influence in the Latin West during the Renaissance, its unique role as a node in the contemporary epistemic network and its complex relationship with the mainstream ideas are both revealed to some extent, which refutes the popular narrative of "progress" or "revolution" in the past.By the way of the close reading and the analysis of its methodological approach and world image, this study gives a more comprehensive judgment on its academic position in the history of science, and expects to contribute the following aspects: 1) to rephrase the essential concepts, theoretical framework, geometrical methods and the “imago mundi” of the work; 2) to reveal its relation with different times and other relevant works, either by Ptolemy or other authors, so as to reapproach the mathematics disciplines at that time such as ancient geography, astronomy and optics; 3) to reinterpret the rebirth, integration and modern transformation of Geography and its world images in pre-modern times, and provide a particular perspective for observing the complex relationship between ancient works and the rise of modern science.
