老子的“无知”论及其意义

Laozi's Theory of"Not-Knowing"and Its Significance

求知是人的本性,但知识自身是有界限的。在知识的界限之外,我们是无知的。在某些情境中,无知可能比有知更有价值。在《老子》中,直接谈及“无知”的命题有三个:(1)“常使民无知无欲,使夫智者不敢为也”;(2)“明白四达,能无知乎”;(3)“夫唯无知,是以不我知”。命题(1)强调的是对巧智的“无知”是建立良序社会的一个必要条件,命题(2)强调的是人无法认识无限的“道”,命题(3)强调的是承认人无法认识“道”是体道和行道的开端。这三个命题在社会、知识和实践三个层面都是有价值的。

It is human nature to seek knowledge,but knowledge itself has boundaries.Outside the boundaries of knowledge,we do not know.In some situations,not knowing may be more valuable than knowing.In Laozi,there are three propositions that directly talk about"not knowing"(wuzhi):(1)"He constantly keeps the people without knowledge and without desire,and where there are those who have knowledge,he keeps them from presuming to act(on it)";(2)"While his intelligence reaches in every direction,cannot he(appear to)be without knowledge?";(3)"It is because they do not know these,that men do not know themselves."Proposition(l)emphasizes that"not knowing"of ingenuity is a necessary condition for the establishment of a well-ordered society,proposition(2)emphasizes that man is unable to know the infinite Dao,and proposition(3)emphasizes that the recognition of man's inability to know the Dao is a necessary condition for the realization and practice of Dao.These three propositions are valuable at the social,intellectual,and practical levels.