老子“治大国若烹小鲜”发微

Brief Comment on Laozi's Opinion——"It is Just like Cooking Seafood to Administer a Great State"

老子“治大国若烹小鲜”一语,既寓治国不可扰民之义,也提示统治者要注意各种因素的相济互补、和谐统一,并把握好做事之“度”。而老子用鱼为喻来阐明其“道”,更表现了老子之“道”的阴性特征。

Laozi＇s saying ＂It is just like cooking seafood to administer a great state＂ not only implies that a ruler should administer state without disturbing its people, but also points out that the ruler should pay attention to the complementation and the harmony of all kinds of factors, and handle ＂the extent＂ exactly. Laozi＇s using a fish in analogy to state his ＂doctrine＂ further shows the negative characteristics of his ＂doctrine＂.