从政治实践中看林则徐的哲学思想——读《林文忠公政书》

Lin Zexu's philosophy as Shown in His Political Measures

《林文忠公政书》即《林文忠公疏稿》,共三十七卷。这是林则徐在江苏、两湖、广东,以至陕、甘、云、贵等地当地方大吏时,给皇帝上的奏稿。据左宗棠在序言中说:该书为“海内士大夫争相传诵”,并说“尝取而读之,有以知公生平居官行政之大略,如景星庆云,照耀天半,郁郁然动人瞻仰,而不能己也”。这说明该书在当时的广泛影响。至于该书内容,左宗棠认为“嘉(庆)道(光)以来,天下切要之政,莫如讲求吏治,整顿钱漕,加意海防诸端”。而林则徐的奏疏,主要也是涉及到这些方面。

Lin Zexu, a statesman noted in modern Chinese history, accumulated rich experiences as the leading administrator in several provinces in succession and the advocate of fact-finding studies for practical purposes in public affairs. This article seeks to expound, through a study of the political mea- sures Lin took in a lifetime, the guiding principles in his philosophy. It is here held that Lin's actions were in line with materialist episte- mology and naive dialectics since he stressed all the time that to solve contradictions one must act in the light of objective conditions, make inquiries into the realities and bring into full play the subjective initi- ative of men.