君无为,臣也无为——先秦道家“无为之治”新论

The King Does Not Seek to Make a Difference,Neither Does the Minister:A new exploration of the theory of“Making no Difference”by the Pre-Qin Taoists

“无为之治”是学界对于先秦政治理论的普遍认识,一般而言其具体内涵是“君无为而臣有为”。然而在先秦道家的理论资源中,还具备“君无为,臣也无为”的理论内涵。在战国时期,道家黄老学者认为君主作为国家的统治者,其政治行为应当符合“无为”,此外部分学者又提出冢宰作为政事的管理者也可以行“无为”之事,相应的工夫取向是“用心如镜”,而臣子所行均为劳心、“有为”之事。但是综合先秦道家其他材料来看,当时学者已提出臣下的政治行为也是可以“无为”的。在这个意义上,臣子的“无为”当理解为“为性之所当为”,顺应其“材性”而从事于某类具体官职,所以此类臣子又称为“材臣”。此外,在具体的实践行为中,材臣们也贯彻着“循理举事”的原则,“循理举事”正相应于“无为而为”。总之,“无为之治”是当时道家学者的最高理论诉求,其针对的对象不止于君主,而含括了所有政治实践的参与者。

The word that“seeking to make no difference”is a universal understanding of the political theory of the pre-Qin period.Generally speaking,it means the king does not seek to make a difference but the minister does.This ideal had played an important role in China’s millennium bureaucracy.But we can also deduct one more in-depth theory that“the king does not seek to make a difference,neither does the minister”.The Huang Lao Scholars advocated that the monarch should govern by seeking to make no difference that conforms to nature.And another part of scholars advocated that the Prime Minister should conform to nature and do not seek to make a difference.However,by sorting the materials,we can also deduct one more.The ministers should return to their nature and to the beginning state,follow their aptitude,engaged in a certain type of occupation.In addition,in the social practice behavior process,the minister should follow a principle that acts according to the law.This truth was favored by the Scholars.From this perspective,the difference between these two kinds of political theories is that,as a theoretical resource,the former was specially provided to the monarch and Prime Minister,the latter was absorbed by scholars and officials.