“游刃”与“凿”辨析

The Flexible Blade and the Chisel

"游刃"与"凿"是道家思想中一对意义相反的语素,特别是作为动词使用时,它们表征着人们在处事待物时不同的哲学态度。首先,"凿"以及与之相关的"规矩"、"准绳"等器物的出现,说明了人们思维理性、逻辑条理的形成确立和日益强化;但在庄子看来,理性逻辑所起的作用并非万能,这种知识理性如果发展到逻辑过度、理性至上的地步,势必会"凿破浑沌"、"遗其玄珠"。由此,庄子用"庖丁解牛"的寓言,以轻细灵巧的"游刃"隐喻工具、对象、认知等诸要素的转变,劝导人们在处事待物时要改变逻辑理性至上的观念,做到与物委蛇、以物为枢、乘物顺势、随缘葆真,内心谦虚、行为谨慎、不彰显自我,最终达到与天同形、与道同貌的化境。最后需要指出的是,庄子褒"游刃"而贬"凿"并不是要抛弃毁绝"凿",而是希望限制知识理性的负面作用,从而更好地将"游刃"与"凿"、直觉与理性相结合,使二者相得益彰。

The flexible blade and the chisel is a pair of opposite morpheme in the thought of Taoism.Especially when used as verbs,they indicate different philosophical attitudes in people s daily life.First,the emergence of chisel and the related rules and criteria shows the formation,establishment and strengthening of people s rational and logical thinking.However,in the opinion of Chuang Tzu,the rationality and logic are not omnipotent.Even worse,if excessive,the rationality and logic will be bound to go apart from...