自然奴隶:磐石之上的种子——亚里士多德自然奴隶学说的哲学解读

Natural Slaves:Seeds on Rocks——Philosophical Interpretation of Aristotle's Theory of Natural Slaves

本文对人性中的"潜能"和现实的"能力"做了区分,在此区分的基础上,试图重建亚里士多德的自然奴隶学说。本文认为亚里士多德所否定的是自然奴隶具有实践理性的能力而非潜能。人类个体都具有实现人性之成熟状态的潜能,而现实能力的长成则需适宜的"土壤"。城邦中的自然奴隶是公民所做政治决断的产物,是为使城邦中一部分人能够实现人性所期许的卓越而不得不做出的牺牲。就其被排斥在城邦生活之外而言,自然奴隶的存在是人为的;从(公民们施加于奴隶之上的)技艺的运用是人类本性中的潜能而言,自然奴隶人性发展之自然过程的被阻碍是自然的。自然奴隶就像落于磐石之上的种子,被外物的本性强加于身,导致其本性中的实践理性潜能无由萌生。

This paper distinguishes ＂potency＂ of humanity from actual ＂capability＂, based on which, it tries to re-establish the theory of Aristotle＇s natural slaves. It argues that what Aristotle denied is natural slaves＇ capability of practical reason rather than potency. Every human possesses the potency of realizing the mature condition of humanity, while the realization of practical capability needs proper ＂soil＂. Natural slaves in the city-state are the result of the political decision of citizens, are the inevitable sacrifice for the realization of the outstanding which is promised by human nature of a certain part of people. As far as being excluded from city-state life, the existence of natural slaves is artificial~ As far as the application of art which is exerted on natural slaves is the potency of humanity, the impediment to the natural development of natural slaves＇ humanity is natural. Natural slaves, just like seeds on rocks, are exerted by the nature of other objects, which leads to the extinguishing of the potency of the practical reason of humanity.