《老子》作為憂患之書

Abstract

《老子》書中政治思想博遠精深，學界前賢研究成果甚多。筆者不揣固陋，企圖從一個前賢較少專注處理的角度，嘗試對《老子》政治思想做一些探討。此角度可稱之為「重實論」。筆者認為，《老子》政治思想作為一種重實論，大致包括以下傾向和內容：1.重視政治生活裡的經驗現實現象，並以此經驗現實為政治思考的主要起點。2.不處理是非應然、價值衝突、倫理判斷之問題。3.以策略性質的建議，作為因應人類政治生活問題的方式。4.對人類政治生活悲劇性的認識，以及對此悲劇性的回應。其中2,3兩點，是《老子》與孔子思想的最明顯不同。第1,4兩點，《老子》與孔子有交集（均以經驗現實為思考起點；均對悲劇性有所認識並有所回應），但兩者所感受到的經驗現實、面對經驗現實的態度、所認識到悲劇性的內容、對悲劇性的回應方式，其實各\n不相同。本文嘗試從上述「重實論」的角度，整理詮釋《老子》思想，並嘗試對「重實論」這種政治思路，做一些初步的省思。

This research aims to present a new horizon in reading and understanding the nature and content of the Daoist classic Laozi. In contrast to the previous researches which approached Laozi from philosophical or philological interests, my research try to explore the text with the concern of political thinking, namely, viewing the text as the ensemble of observations of political problems,\nanalyses of their causes, and suggestions for proper responses. The prominent features of the political thought in Laozi include the lack of interest in changing the world according to ideal norms; the recognition of the tragic reality of human political behavior where human beings are\nalmost hopelessly trapped by their own ignorance and shortsightedness. In this sense, the political thought in Laozi seemed to show some affinity with the tradition of political realism in the Western political thought.