内在与超越:奥古斯丁的宇宙目的论

Immanence and Transcendence:Augustine's Cosmopolitan Teleology

奥古斯丁在对《创世记》的解释中,逐步发展出一套基督教的宇宙目的论。受柏拉图《蒂迈欧篇》以及新柏拉图主义的影响,奥古斯丁主张宇宙的秩序根源于上帝对质料的赋形。“赋形说”并不意味着奥古斯丁的宇宙论仅仅是“外在主义”的:一方面,奥古斯丁理解的质料并不是完全被动的,而是有着朝向形式的主动潜能;另一方面,奥古斯丁对“种子理式”的论述,表明宇宙具有合乎理性的内在秩序。同时,他的宇宙目的论亦始终无法脱离外在主义的危险。这表现在,无论质料具有多大的主动性,它都对外在的形式有抵抗的冲动(恶);万物虽然具有“种子理式”,但保存和维持这一形式的力量仍在上帝自身。奥古斯丁宇宙目的论的内在性和外在性,从根子上源自上帝的内在性和超越性。内在性和超越性的张力,不仅困扰着奥古斯丁,而且潜伏于基督教思想深处,成为困扰中世纪哲学和现代哲学的难题。

In his interpretation of Genesis,Augustine gradually developed a Christian cosmopolitan teleology,insisting that the order of the universe originated from God's formation of matter.This“theory of formation”does not mean that Augustine's cosmology is only“external”:on the one hand,matter is understood as having an initial potential towards form;on the other hand,“seminal reason”shows that the universe has a rational internal order.However,Augustine's cosmopolitan teleology is susceptible to externalism:no matter how active the material is,there is an impulse(evil)to resist the external form,and the power to preserve and maintain seminal reasons is still in God himself.The internality and externality of Augustine's cosmological teleology originates from the immanence and transcendence of God.The tension between immanence and transcendence not only perplexed Augustine,but also lurked in the depths of Christian thought.