圣君治理下的社会构想——《老子》小国寡民思想探微

The Social Conception under the Rule of Saga Emperor: A Probe into the Thought of a Small Country with Few People in Tao Te Ching

《老子》的核心关注目标是人君,“小国寡民”是基于人君如何治理天下而描画的社会蓝图。在这个构想里,削弱诸侯,使天下小国林立、诸侯丧失争衡天下的实力,是圣君治国的政治基础。而圣君少私寡欲,不尚贤无征战,天下才会无事,则臣民仅通过结绳就足以记事。此外,圣君及臣民拥有一定的物质文化生活基础并对自我文化生活高度认同,天下人知足而足,社会才能稳定祥和,这是实现老子社会构想的重要因素。

Tao Te Ching focuses on emperors. The model “A small country with few people” is a social blueprint based on how the emperor governs the country. In this conception, it is the political foundation of the rule of a saga emperor to weaken the vassals and make the small states in great numbers. If the emperor has less private desire, does not attach important to talents and hates wars, the world will be peaceful and citizens record only through the knot. In addition, the emperor and his subjects have certain material and cultural life foundation, highly identify with their own cultural life. Only when all the citizens are satisfied can the society be stable and peaceful. This plays an important role in realizing Lao-Tzu’s social conception.