权力与标准——《老子》教与学思想探析

Authority and Standards: A Study on Teaching and Learning in the Laozi

《老子》的教学思想并非关于庠序之教,而是拒绝周文的礼乐政教传统,向君主提出政治制度与价值导向的新建议。教与学关联着权力与标准,'教'就上位者言,掌握权力与尺度使人效法;'学'就下位者言,指向标准和价值的认可与接受。《老子》主张,持有权力的统治者不为被统治者订立统一标准,也不以权力推行标准化的价值规约。在'道-万物(君-百姓)'结构中,教的权力执于统治者,无为以行不言之教而有君之玄德,不倚赖名言来定位万物之真;学的标准则归诸万物自身,放弃以礼乐作为'德之则',学法自然而万物各有其德。其理论依据落回'道''德',从道的高度看,基于标准的相对、对反的转化及固化标准的负面效果,主张效仿道法万物之自然;君之德与物之德的双重层次,则为无为和自然的概念提供内部支撑。

The theory of teaching and learning in the Laozi is not about schooling,nor general education,but a proclamation of a new political system and social value different from the classic pattern of the Zhou dynasty.The concepts of'teaching'and'learning'are related to authority and standards.'Teaching'is a superior holding authority with yardstick to make the inferior imitate,while'learning'means the acceptance of standards as values for subordinates.The focal point of Laozi’s theory of teaching and learning in politics lies in the separation between authority and standards:the political power is held by the ruler,while the value-standards are returned back to the people.For the Laozi,'teaching'is the ruler teaching without teaching,to instruct people without issuing commands or assigning the meaning of social hierarchy through names and courteous propriety,which is,to practice wuwei.'Learning'is learning not learning,people discard standardized way of living and learn inwardly to know their selves thus actualize the individual’s inner nature,which is to be self-so.This is the course whereby the Dao follows,meanwhile it shows the concerns of reflections on relativity,the dialectics of value-standards,and the negative results of standardization.The theory also connects to two dimensions of the concept'de':the anonymous de of Dao(the ruler),and all things relatively attaining their own de for themselves.Therefore,a profound attempt was made to liberate the particular values of each individual from a rigid political regime.