《礼记》的“自然哲学”思想探微

The Idea of Natural Philosophy in The Book of Rites

《礼记》蕴含"自然哲学"思想,用自然界变化原理与规律来解释礼俗制度,找出中国礼制的科学根据,这无疑是《礼记》一书的思想光华之一。礼俗的各种规定,既不是完全出于迷信,也不是出于主观随意性,而是出于谢答天地之恩、祖先之恩,效古代朴实风尚,仿大自然各种规律而制礼定俗,具有效法自然与古风的直观性含义。依据客观自然原理、人性道理制定礼俗,有着客观物质依据,属唯物主义思想。

The Book of Rites contains natural philosophy. It is undoubtedly a sparkling point of the book to find out the theoretical basis of China's rites by way of explaining the conventions with the principles and rules of the changing nature. The protocol was established neither out of any form of superstition, nor out of subjective optionality. It was set up to acknowledge the blessing of heaven and earth and the ancestors, and to follow the simple styles of the ancient times and the laws of the nature, containing the directly-observed implications to imitate nature and ancient ancestors. There is a materialistic basis, which belongs to materialism, in the establishment of sites, based on natural laws and human principles.