“利万物”与“不争”——老子政治哲学的两个向度及其当代价值和意义

“Beneficial to All Things”and“Non-contention”——Two Dimensions of Lao Zi's Political Philosophy and Its Revelation for the Contemporary Society

"无为之治"是老子政治哲学的集中体现,其含义在《老子》文本中包含了"利万物"和"不争"两个向度,但研究者对老子"无为之治"的解读易于忽略其"利万物"的一面,而凸显其"不争"的一面,这直接导致了人们对"无为之治"的负面评价。"无为之治"如果离开"利万物"作为基础和价值指向,仅仅强调其"不争"的一面,其在政治上难免消极,如果将老子政治哲学中的两个向度结合起来理解,即在"利万物"的基础上以"不争"的方式处在百国之下,践行其"利万物"的宏大作为,则无疑是大国的智慧之路。

“Govern by doing nothing”is the focus of Lao Zi ’s political philosophy.Its meaning in Lao Zi contains two dimensions：one is to be “beneficial to all things”,and the other is to be “non-contention”.But,scholars are likely to ignore the former and highlight the latter,which leads to peo-ple’s negative evaluation of“Govern by doing nothing”.To be “non-contention”is inevitably nega-tive without the basis and value orientation of“beneficial to all things”,but it is undoubtedly the wis-dom road for greater power if governors blend the two dimensions that benefits all things by virtue of“non-contention”.