章太炎自由观新探——以其与中国传统思想的对话为中心

A New Study on Zhang Taiyan's View on Freedom based on His Discourse on Chinese Traditional Thoughts

自由是现代性的核心观念之一。辛亥革命的理论先导章太炎在与中国传统思想的对话中阐释其自由观,以"无待"来理解形上自由,在"一字千金"的《齐物论释》中,通过"我"之成立及其可破,在确立形上平等的同时也确立了形上自由;在认识论领域,通过和《荀子》、《庄子》、佛学等的对话,章太炎对认识上的自由的获得机制本身、人的认识能力、真理、科学规律等问题,都提出了独到的看法,然而其佛学的立场又有将真实的认识论问题的讨论归结为虚幻的心灵构造的嫌疑;在伦理学领域,章氏讨论了自由人格的培养问题,其核心就在于通过重新解读中国传统思想,从中挖掘出"依自不依他"的原则,并试图复活传统道德条目以应对现代处境。

Freedom is one of the key concepts in discourses on modernity.Zhang Taiyan,a major thinker during the Xinhai Revolution,establishes his view on freedom through brooding about Chinese traditional thoughts.For him,freedom,in ontological terms,means wudai（depending on nothing）.In his great work Explication on Qi Wu Lun,he establishes his ontological conception of freedom and equality by arguing how I exist and disappear.In the area of epistemology,through discussing Xunzi,Zhuang Zi and Buddhism,etc.,Zhang Taiyan provides his own unique views on issues such as the mechanism whereby humans acquire their epistemological freedom,the human cognitive ability,truth and scientific principles.But on the other hand,he seems to have led the discussion on real epistemology away and onto unreal mind construction due to his Buddhist stance.In the area of ethics,Zhang Taiyan discusses how to develop free personality.He focuses on how to derive the principle of depending on oneself,not others,from traditional thoughts.He also tries to revive traditional morality to cope with the modern situation.