嵇康、向秀养生之争背后的玄学分际

The Metaphysical Distinction in the Debate on Regimen Between Ji Kang and Xiang Xiu

嵇康提出了以遵循天地自然之道为指归的养生思想,主张清虚静泰、少私寡欲。向秀则认为人欲乃自然之理,不能禁绝,但须节之以礼。双方均站在“自然”的制高点上,其争论超出了养生的范围,深入到了人性论的话题中。究其原因,二人分属不同类型的玄学家,“经典注释派”的向秀温和保守,“人生风度派”的嵇康则给人放浪不羁的印象。不同的风格与思维方式使他们对“自然”有不同的理解:嵇康所谓“自然”是指宇宙间的流行变化,遵循它可以延年益寿,但已预设了人在“自然”之外,其思维方式近乎老子;向秀使用的“自然”则指人生而有之的本能,它可能来自于《庄子》中的“从欲”思想,将天地人一体化。对“自然”的不同理解决定了他们对名教的态度。

Ji Kang proposed a regimen of following nature,advocating that one should restrain one's desires.Xiang Xiu regarded human desires as natural and thought that one shouldn't control them,but could regulate them by means of ethics.Although their regimen thoughts were all based on nature,their debate went beyond nature and was transformed into human nature.The reason is that Ji Kang and Xiang Xiu belong to the different school of metaphysics.Therefore,their fundamental difference lies in their different understanding of nature.Ji Kang thought of nature as moving and changing in the universe,which is similar to Lao-tsu's thought.Xiang Xiu considered nature as one's biological instinct,which may be derived from the thought of indulging desires in Zhuang-tsu.Different understanding of nature determines their attitudes towards Mingjiao(Confucian ethical code).