“上…”“下…”之分——《老子》“上德不德”章探微

Differences Between “The Superior…” and “The Inferior…”——A Study on Lao Zi's Chapter of “The Man of Superior Character is not Character”

《老子》"上德不德"章中存在着一个价值观念体系。对此体系,我们可以作出"上…"、"下…"之分。所谓"上…"者,指"道→上德→上仁→上义→上礼"之迭为体用关系的价值观念体系,而所谓"下…"者,则指这一观念体系中彼此间体用关系的散解,并因此分别沦落为"下德""下仁""下义"和"下礼"。分析这一价值观念体系,对于我们把握《老子》在处理儒、道等关系时的双重维度具有重要的分析意义。

There is a value system in Lao Zi’s chapter of ＂The Man of Superior Character is not Character＂.With this system,we can separate it into two parts of＂the superior …＂ and the＂inferior…＂The so-called ＂the superior＂,refers to the higher value system,while the so-called ＂ the inferior ＂,refers to the lower value system.Therefore,it is beneficial to analyze the value system in order to deal with the dual dimension between Confucianism and Taoism.