略论《管子》中的“法”“令”概念

On the Concepts of“Law”and“Order”in Guanzi

“法”与“令”两个概念的古义可以溯及至金文和甲骨文,“法”在先秦时期最初只有“刑法”的含义,后来表示抽象意义的“律则”;“令”则兼具动词和名词之意,表示“命令”。在《管子》的《经言》诸篇中,“法”概念的使用类似后世法家“法”的观念还比较淡薄,同时“令”使用的次数远多于“法”。《外言》以下诸篇“法”概念出现的频次逐渐增多,并作为“令”的依据,往往以“法令”的形式连用。“法”与“令”内涵的演变,表明战国时期法家之“法”概念对《管子》“法”“令”思想的影响逐渐加深,这种关键概念含义的变化是引起后世关于《管子》一书学派归属争议的原因之一。

meaning as“legal principles”;“order”on the other hand,is both a verb and a noun,meaning“to command”.The use of the concept of“law”in the various chapters of Jing Yan in the book Guanzi is similar to the concept of“law”in later legalist school,but there are also differences.At the same time,“order”is used much more frequently than“law”.The concept of“law”in the following chapters of Wai Yan gradually increases in frequency and serves as the basis for“orders”,often used in the form of“laws”.The evolution of the connotations of“law”and“order”indicates that during the Warring States period,the concept of“law”in legalist school gradually deepened its influence on the ideas of“law”and“order”in Guanzi.This change in the meaning of key concepts is also one of the reasons for the later controversy over the attribution of the school of thought in Guanzi.