“道法自然”之刍议——重释《老子·第二十五章》

On“Dao Operates Naturally”:Reinterpreting Chapter 25 of Laozi

对于通行本《老子》第二十五章内容“人法地、地法天、天法道、道法自然”,学界认为地、天、道、自然四者之间有逻辑递进关系,对“道法自然”的一种理解是将“自然”作名词解,即“道效法/遵循自然”,其问题是作为宇宙终极根源的“道”之上,是否有一更高之“自然”需要“道”去“法”呢?另一种理解是将“自然”作形容词解,“道的本质是自然而然的”,那么此处又何需“法”之说?可见这两种理解都存在歧义的可能。李约“义颖而莹”的断句凸显了道家形上的自然原则“人法地地、法天天、法道道、法自然”,“人”作为“法”的行为主体,应遵循地之地性、天之天性、道之道性,让万物呈现其自然之性。“言地、天、道三者,皆有自然之妙理,王者当法之尔”,从而真正实现“辅万物之自然”。

Academia once believed that there is a logical progressive relationship between the earth,heaven,Dao and nature as to“Man patterns himself on the operation of the earth;the earth patterns itself on the operation of heaven;heaven patterns itself on the operation of Dao;Dao patterns itself on what is nat⁃ural”in Chapter 25 of Laozi.There are two explanations for“Ziran”.“Ziran”can be interpreted as both a noun and adjective.However,there is ambiguity in both interpretations.Li Yue highlights the natural prin⁃ciples of Taoism metaphysics.As the pattern subject,man should follow the nature of heaven,the earth and Dao,so that all things appear their naturalness.