老子音乐美学思想辨正

老子哲学思想的核心是"道"。"道"是天地万物的本源,又体现了万物发展的规律。"道"是自然无欲的,人也应顺乎自然,清静无为。人有意为之的结果导致了祸乱,违背了道,故需"抱朴守静"、回到自然状态。老子的哲学观不是不要"利",而是不要害;不是不要美,而是不要丑;不是不要善,而是不要不善。但由于美与丑、善与不善、利与害"相伏"、"相倚",相伴相生,所以,为了不要丑、害、不善,干脆不要美、善、利。老子的音乐美学观与哲学观是一致的。为子避免音乐的丑,他连音乐也彻底抛弃,提出了"大音希声"的主张。

The Dialectics of Lao Zi's Music Aesthetics

The core of Lao Zi's philosophical thinking is "Tao", which is regarded as the way of nature and the law of nature. "Tao" is natural and desireless. Man should follow the law of nature and let things take their own course. Human intentions go against the "Tao", thus resulting in harm. Man should revert to the simple, tranquil and natural state. According to Lao Zi's philosophy, people should abandon harm, but not benefit; ugliness, but not beauty; evil, but not good. Since beauty and ugliness, benefit and harm, good and evil beget and depend on each other, beauty, good and benefit should be discarded completely in order to avoid ugliness, harm and evil. In accordance with his philosophy, his music aesthetics maintains that music itself should be abandoned for the purpose of avoiding its ugliness. Lao Zi suggests that the great music is the music without sound.