《老子》和早期中国哲学的形上语境

《老子》哲学的主要贡献在于开创了关于道的哲学形上学 ,但《老子》的形上思维并非横空出世。不仅是《老子》的道所作出的形上形下之分与《周易》有着思想史上的传承 ,而且《老子》道的字源特征及其注重天地人事形上形下贯通等思想 ,都深深地扎根于夏、商、周三代以来的时代话题所构成的形上语境。

Laozi and the Metaphysical Backgroud of Early Chinese Philosophy

Laozi set up the ancient metaphysics in Chinese history, which regarded "Tao" as the object of thinking and the original reason of the world. Thereby, it delimited its philosophical problems. His metaphysics pointed to a moral ground for man's social life, and further discussed such opposite categories as Tao and vessel, subject and use, important and unimportant, being and nothingness, and one and multiplicity, etc. However, the metaphysical thinking of Laozi doesn't derive from nothing. Contrarily, it has been rooted in those thoughts existing since Xia, Shang and Chou dynasties, especially in the context of the thoughts of its age. Moreover, it has an affinity with the social topics discussed and concerned by its age.