司马迁称“黄老言”之用意考

A Study of Sima Qian’s Motive in Recording the‘Huang–Lao Doctrines’

司马迁《史记》所称“黄老言”“黄老之言”,固然虚指黄帝、老子本人的言论与学说,但亦实指流行于战国到秦汉之际的“刑名法术之学”,更是特指汉初,尤其是文(帝)景(帝)前后之所有的在理论上归本于《老子》、主张持“清静”(清净)、“无为”、“因顺”原则以处事乃至治世的黄老学——托名黄老的政治哲学。汉初的“黄老言”(黄老学),以形式论,是对《老子》解释与发挥的产物。解释《老子》而产生的“黄老言”(新道学),当以《老子河上公章句》为代表作;发挥《老子》而产生的“黄老言”(新道学),则当以《黄帝四经》为代表作。就《黄帝四经》来看,由发挥《老子》而产生的“新老学”(新道学),又有托名(托名黄帝)与不托名(既不托名黄帝亦不托名老子)之别。可见,汉初的“新道学”其实可分为三种形式:托名老子的“新老言”、托名黄帝的“新老言”、无任何托名的“新老言”。这三类“新老言”,就本质讲都是对原始老子学说作合乎汉初社会、政治需要之解释与发挥的产物,可名曰“新老学”或“新道学”。它之在汉初被习称为“黄老言”“黄老之言”,想必是因为它(汉初之政治哲学)托名黄帝、老子的缘故。

The"Huang-Lao doctrines"quoted in the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian,refers apparently to the discourses of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi,but actually to the Legalist doctrines popular from the Warring States period down to the Qin and Han dynasties,and in particular,to the Huang-Lao thought prevalent during the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing of the Han,which theoretically comes from the Laozi and advocates passive inaction and conformity in conducting oneself and governing the country.The new teachings of Laozi in the early Han dynasty were an extended interpretation of the Laozi.It can be divided into three forms:under the name of Laozi,under the name of the Yellow Emperor,and an anonymous version.Since the early Han political philosophy was carried out in the names of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi,it should be no wonder that it has conventionally been called the"Huang-Lao doctrines."