摘 要：学术界在阐释老子的自然观念时出现了同义反复和循环定义等逻辑问题，这源于对自然意蕴缺乏深入地批判和反思，只是把自然当作形容词或抽象的名词去分析。《道德经》中的自然是一个发展变化的概念，自然的起点和归宿都是人及其社会，因此自然是一个富含人文性的概念。主要体现在：自然在其历史的起点上是人类早期文明所形成的无为的生活状态的描绘，在此基础上抽象出来的“道”，成为万物的本源以及万物按照无为的原则生存与运行的规律。如果把“道”作为真理的话，自然则是指引“道”生成、运行、发展的绝对真理。作为绝对真理的自然在其外化和现“象”的过程中，发生了变化：在伦理阶段，它保持着素朴的本体世界的真理本性，指引着价值世界和生活世界的运行，使人类社会成为一个共同体；自然在教化阶段，本体世界的“道”异化为“德”与“不德”，失去了最高的指引功能，导致价值世界失去规范和生活世界失去秩序；自然在道德阶段，本体世界回复其至善的指引作用，引导价值世界和生活世界向“玄德”乃至向自然之道回归，最终达到“道”、“德”与自然的和谐。
关键词： 自然； 道； 现“象”； 德
Further Studies on the Connotations of Nature in the Dao De Jing
YANG Jia-you
Abstract: “nature”(“zi ran”) in the Dao De Jing is an evolving concept. The starting point and destination of “nature” are all human beings and their society, so “natural” is a humanistic concept. It is Mainly reflected in: at the starting point in its history, “nature” is a word for the description of the existence of early civilizations. On this basis, the abstract “Dao” becomes the origin of all things and the principle with which all things comply. If “Dao” is considerded as the truth, “natural” is the absolute truth which guides running and development of “Dao”. As an absolute truth, “nature” in the process of externalization changes its forms: in the ethical stage, “nature” maintains the truth of “Dao”; in the alienation phase, the natural “Dao” is alienated as “De” (“virtue”) and “without morality”; in the moral stage, it is the natural way to restore the perfection of nature and will ultimately achieve “Dao” and “De” in harmony with “nature”.
Key words: Natural; Tao; Appearance; Virtue
