“道可道,非常道”新解

A New Interpretation of“The Dao That Can Be Said,Is Not the Eternal Dao”

“道可道,非常道”是通行本《老子》首章的起首之句,学界对其含义意见纷纭,迄今未有定论。学者们通常认为老子之“道”指宇宙万物的本原,然而“道”是指宇宙万物本原之“字”而非“名”。而“字”是对“名”之内涵的解释。根据老子的思想逻辑,宇宙万物的本原包含本体和作用两个方面,其本体无声无形,无法命名;其作用表现为创生宇宙万物,并作为宇宙万物变化发展的内在根据、准则等,此作用可见可知,可以言说,故老子“字之曰道”。因此,“道”的确切含义,是指宇宙万物本原之作用;而“常道”,则指的是宇宙万物本原之本体。据此,则“道可道,非常道”的含义为:可以言说的宇宙万物本原之作用,不是宇宙万物本原之本体。从“道”之体用的角度理解“道可道,非常道”的内涵,不仅契合老子的思想宗旨,而且亦能有效解决围绕老子思想的诸多重要争议。

“The Dao that can be said,is not the eternal Dao”is the opening sentence of the first chapter of the Dao De Jing(the Book of Tao and Teh)in the general edition.Scholars usually think that Laozi's Dao refers to the origin of all things in the universe,but in fact it refers to the written character or zi rather than the name of the origin of all things in the universe The character interprets the connotations of the name.According to Laozi's intellectual logic,the origin of all things in the universe has two aspects:noumenon and function The noumenon is silent,intangible,and cannot be named;its function is manifested in the creation of all things in the universe,and in the internal basis and criterion for the change and development of all things in the universe This function can be seen and known,and it can also be said,so Laozi says“it is designated the Dao.”Therefore,the exact meaning of Dao refers to the function of the origin of all things in the universe;while the eternal Dao refers to the noumenon of the origin of all things in the universe.According to this understanding,the meaning of“the Dao that can be said,is not the eternal Dao”is that the function that can be said of the origin of all things in the universe is not the essence of the origin of all things in the universe Understanding“the Dao that can be said,is not the eternal Dao”from the perspective of the noumenon and function of Dao is not only in line with Laozi's intellectual aims,but can also effectively resolve many important controversies surrounding Laozi's thought.