“自然”与必然

“Zi Ran” and Necessity

"自然"是中国古代思想中的重要概念。它通常描述了两个存在者或关系项之间的关系。其中的第二个关系项是经验的当下状态。而第一个关系项或为经验的自然界,或为质料性的人性,或为超验的理。当第一个关系项为经验存在时,"自然"便是自然。当第一个关系项是超验的理时,"自然"便同于必然。科学认识中的必然或必然性,其实是客观的自然法则的主观化。去除主观性因素,必然便是自然。

Zi Ran(Keeping itself),which describes the relation between two beings or relational terms,is a very important concept in ancient Chinese philosophy.The second relational term is the current empirical status,while the first relational term can be the empirical natural world,the materialized human nature,or the transcendental law.When the first term is something empirical,Zi Ran refers to being natural.When the first term denotes supernatural law,Zi Ran is analogous to necessity.The necessity in scientific cognition,in fact,is the subjectivisation of objective natural law,and without the subjective factor,necessity equals to Zi Ran.