老子的自然观念:自我的自己而然与他者的自己而然

通过对老子的"自然"观念的重新解读和解释,本文试图展现老子的自然观念中的两个方面的意义,即"让自身的自己而然"的"肯定意义"与反对任何对"自身的自己而然"的进行干涉的"消极意义"。因此,任何一种事物,无论它低贱如无生命的岩石还是高贵如有意识、有思想的人,当它以一种自己而然(self-so-ing)的方式自生、自长、自成、自衰、自灭之际,并由于这种自己而然而向自身产生出一种肯定性的要求之时,他就展现出老子自然观念中的"积极意义"或"肯定性意义"。与之相应,当它根据同样的理由要求自己对他人、他物的"他者的自己而然"(other-ing),或者要求他人对作为他者的他者的"自我"的"自己而然"加以尊重和不得干涉之际,它就展现出老子自然观念中的"消极意义"或"否定性意义"。我们将会看到,老子"自然"观念中这一消极或否定层面的意义又通过老子以及道家哲学中的著名的"无为"概念表达出来。这一"无为",在老子那里,无论是表述为"无事"、"无欲"、"无心",还是"让先"、"取柔"、"守雌",其核心和要害均在于让"他者"、任"他者"或者辅"他者"自己而然。所以,本文结论,老子"自然"概念在哲学上予以"他者"合法性,为"自我"设限,建立起"他者"的界域并要求对之加以尊重。

On Laozi's Ziran:It-self-so-ing and Other-ing

Abstract:In the article I shall discuss two interrelated senses of Lao Zi's conception of zi ran. In light of a non-traditonal reading of the five chapters where the term zi ran occurs in the Dao De Jing, I shall argue, first of all, that zi ran as Dao is not something above or against human activity. It is rather the natural way of everything's becoming his/her/itself, i.e., a natural process of "it-self-be-coming," "it-self-growing," and "it-self-so-ing." I call it the positive sense of zi ran. In contrast with the positive sense of zi ran as "it-self-so-ing," the negative sense of zi ran may be called as "other-ing," which is also expressed in Lao Zi's concept of wu wei. Whether the negative sense of zi ran or wu wei is understood as "having-no-activity," as "acting without desires/intentions," or as "acting with a yielding attitude," all of these, I shall claim, are only different ways or means for letting others, helping others, and encouraging others on the ways to their own "it-self-so-ing," i.e., "other-ing."