老子道论——让哲学说汉语的一次尝试

On Laozi's Dao:An Attempt to Make Philosophy Speak Chinese

中国"哲学的突破"始于《老子》,中国哲人寻求普遍统一性的努力集中体现在道的提升上。但随之而来的,是道的意义究竟如何理解,这也是困扰中国哲学的根本问题。我们今天所应当做的,不是站在老子思想之外指手画脚,说"道"是这是那,而是进入到老子思想的内部,帮助老子建立道论的哲学言说。建立老子道论的哲学言说,也就是建立老子哲学的逻辑体系。我们将老子思想的表述视为未经论证的命题,本文的目的即在于对这些命题进行论证,使之成为严格意义上的哲学。言说之道已非道,"道"有名而实无名。名亦物,道非名亦非物,道为无。无为万物生存之可能,万物即道之显现,无亦即有。万物与道区分,因万物自相区分,于是有德。消泯区分则合道,固守区分则违道。物的多样性激起欲望,对物的役使更背离道。只有无我之欲方归于自然。欲是以人为尺度区分物,由是形成知。对知的获取为学,学增强我与他者区分的能力,故损学方能益生。学知方可有为,改造外物,对抗自然。无为则无我,不造物不别物。于是人之生即道之动,无为而无不为。

'How is the meaning of the Dao to be understood?' To answer this question,we should not make indiscreet remarks outside of the framework of Laozi's thought;rather,we should enter the system,helping Laozi to establish a philosophical system on the Dao.Such an establishment is equivalent to that of a logical system of Laozi's philosophy.We consider the presentation of Laozi's thought as unverified propositions,and the purpose of this essay is to expound on these propositions and make them philosophy in a strict sense:the Dao that can be talked about is not Dao anymore,and while 'the Dao' seems to have its name,it actually does not.Names are also particular things.The Dao is neither a name nor a thing;instead,the Dao implies nonexistence.Nonexistence means the possibility of the being of all things,and all these things are the manifestation of the Dao,thus nonexistence is also existence.Things are discriminated from the Dao,and because all these things are discriminated from each other,there is De 德(virtues).Where the discrimination is removed,there is the Dao,and adherence to the discrimination means deviation from the Dao.The diversity of things stirs up desires,and the control and utilization of things are a departure from the Dao.Only desires without self are compatible with nature.Desire discriminates with artificial measurements,and thus leads to knowledge.To acquire knowledge is to learn,and learning develops the capability to differentiate between the self and the other,so only a decline in learning can be conducive to human life.One can achieve something,transform external things and withstand nature only after he learns and acquires knowledge.On the other hand,wuwei 无为(letting things take their own course) leads to wuwo 无我(self-denial),avoiding the invention or differentiation of things.Therefor,life is just the movement of the Dao,in which all things are allowed to take their own courses and nothing is left unaccomplished.