本文旨在探討德意志學者莱布尼茨（Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz )的符 號理論與漢字結構之間的關係。莱布尼茨是傑出的數理邏輯學家，在十七世 紀歐洲盛行的普遍語言運動中，他曾嘗試在邏輯的基礎上建構一種能為人類 理性接受的普遍文字。此時漢語漢字透過來華傳教士傳入歐洲，為莱氏創制 普遍文字的構想提供了借鏡，而柏林東方學者米勒（Andreas Mtiller)也在此 時聲稱自己發現了解開漢字奥秘的「中文之鑰」。從莱布尼茨向米勒提出的十 四個有關漢字構造的問題顯示，莱布尼茨探索漢字的熱情，是從他對邏輯學 組合術的興趣延伸而來。據此，本文擬透過分析這十四個問題，探討莱布尼 茨如何將他最拿手的數理邏輯研究方法應用於「中文之鑰」的探尋，尤其是 如何將漢字構造與邏輯學中的組合概念做類比。文中並且以六書造字原則來 檢視漢字結構是否能為莱布尼茨的符號理論提供範式。

This article deals with the relationship between the sign theory proposed by the German logician G. W. Leibniz and the composition of Chinese characters. At the time of the universal language movement in Europe in the seventeenth century, Leibniz was one of those trying to construct a universal character set based on logic and rationality. Samples of Chinese characters brought to Europe by missionaries from China provided Leibniz with a pre-existing model for creating a universal character set. At the same time, Berlin orientalist Andreas Müller claimed to have discovered the “Clavis Sinica” or key to resolving the mysteries of Chinese characters. In response, Leibniz posed a list of fourteen questions to Müller about the composition of Chinese characters. These questions show that Leibniz’s passion in exploring Chinese characters came from his fundamental interest in a logical method he called the “ars combinatoria.” By analyzing the fourteen questions, this article reveals how Leibniz applied mathematical logic to his search for the Clavis Sinica, in particular how he used the concept of logical combinations as an analogy for the composition of Chinese characters. In addition, we will use the liushu (六書 six traditional principles of Chinese character construction) to examine whether the structure of Chinese characters can serve as a paradigm for Leibniz’s sign theory.