“道”何以“生法”——关于《黄老帛书》“道生法”命题的追问

How Law Is Derived from Dao——About the proposition of Dao producing Law in Huang Lao BO Shu

关于《黄老帛书》“道生法”的命题,学界已有的几种观点都是立足于它的功用加以分析和阐释。如果我们进一步对该命题中的基本概念作细致的辨析,可以发现,在帛书中具备“生法”功能的不是“道”,而是包含着周期性法则(四时)和对立性法则(阴阳)的“天道”或天地之道。这一点可从该书以“天道”充当治国活动根本依据的有关设定中得到证明。“道”借助于“天道”来派生“法”,进而也被设定为治国活动的根本依据之一,体现着帛书在转向为治之思的路向上,既要突破老子的局限,又要坚持道家基本立场的矛盾。这一矛盾还表现在其后的黄老学者或著作关于为治理则的不同抉择上。

There are three academic views about“Law Deriving From Dao”(道生法),which is the key proposition in Huang Lao Bo Shu.The conclusions drown by authors are based on its effect.Actually,not“Dao”but“the Dao of Heaven”(天道)has the function of“producing law”,because there is no inner link between“Dao”and“Law”. But“the Dao of Heaven”,which contains“Four Seasons”(四时)and Yin Yang(阴阳),stipulates the basic social and political relationship.Furthermore,the action of governance mainly depends on“the Dao of Heaven”. On one hand,“Dao”relies on“the Dao of Heaven”to produce“Law”,on the other hand,“Dao”also is the principle of governance,which reflects the contradiction in Huang Lao Bo Shu between sticking to the basic position of Taoism and making a breakthrough at the limitations of Lao Zi in governance.And this contradiction also shows on the choice of governance principle in the works after Huang Lao Bo Shu in the war lord period of China.