“道”的文化阐释

A Cultural Interpretation of "Tao"

"道"字的形义及其演变显示,其本义似应为"路",现代汉语中主要衍生出"道路""道德""道理""道义""道家""道学""道统""人道""道白""正道""道教"等词汇。从哲学上来看,"道"的本义引申为"途径""方法",再引申为"思想体系""规律""原则""学说""道理"等;在中国哲学史上道家是与儒家相辅相成的主要思想流派,道家的"道"及其体系影响了中国哲学思想的发展,而且在世界上也影响深广,特别是对西方现代存在主义哲学家海德格尔的学说发展有着重要作用。从伦理学上来看,"道德""人道""道义"等概念是人类必须遵循的行为规范和社会导向;中国伦理学史上的宋明理学的"道学"和"道统"曾经对封建社会的稳态发展起着意识形态的巩固和僵化作用。从美学上来看,以老子和庄子为代表的道家美学思想在"道法自然"的原则下,形成了崇尚自然、追求审美自由境界的美学思想,从先秦时代开始,特别是魏晋时代以后一直影响到中国文学艺术实践,不断兴起超越政治和道德的功利目的的文艺思潮,与儒家美学思想的政治道德功利目的相抗衡,促进着中国古代文艺的审美自由境界的拓展,尤其是对中国古代的音乐和书法艺术以及唐诗宋词元曲的繁荣发展起着重要的推进作用。道教是中国古代本土产生的宗教形态,在中国长期封建社会发展过程中无论是在朝廷还是民间都发生过重要影响。

The morphological and semantic evolution of ＂ 道＂ Tao points to its original meaning of ＂ 路＂ which means a road and from which a host of other words are derived in modern Chinese, such as ＂ way＂ , ＂ moral＂ , ＂ truth＂ , ＂justice＂ , ＂ Taoism Confucianism＂ , ＂ humanity＂ , ＂ spoken parts in an opera＂ , ＂ the right way＂ , ＂ doctrines and principles＂ and etc. From a philosophical point of view, the original meaning of ＂ Tao＂ is first extended to ＂ way＂ and ＂ method＂ and then to ＂ ideology＂ , ＂ law＂ , ＂ principle＂ , ＂ theory＂ , ＂ truth＂ and so on. In the history of Chinese philosophy Taoism and Confu- cianism are two opposing and yet complementary schools of thought. The Tao of Taoism and its system have not only influ- enced the development of philosophy in China, but also all over the world, especially the existentialist philosopher Heideg- ger. From the ethical point of view, ＂ morality＂ , ＂ humanity＂ and ＂justice＂ are norms and orientations which all mankind is subject to. In the history of Chinese ethics, Neo Confucianism, an orthodoxy ideology in Song Dynasty, contributed to the stability and eventual rigidity of the feudal society. From the view of aesthetics, Taoist aesthetic thoughts, typified by Lao Tzu and Chuang-tzu and holding ＂ imitation of nature＂ as the acme of artistic accomplishment, are responsible for the emer- gence of an aesthetics that advocates nature and seeks aesthetic freedom. Since the pre-Qin era, especially after the Wei and Jin Dynasties, this aesthetics has influenced literary and artistic practice in China, bringing about artistic movements that transcend political, moral and other utilitarian concerns characteristic of the rival Confucian aesthetics and expanding the ho- rizons of aesthetic freedom in ancient Chinese literature and art, especially in ancient Chinese music, calligraphy, poetry in Tang and Song Dynasties and drama in Yuan Dynasty. As an indigenous religion in ancient China Taoism had an important impact on the social development of feudal China, whether in the court or in society at large.