戰國老學的兩大主流──政治化老學與境界化老學

Two Mainstreams of Lao-xüe during the Epoch Warring States－Political Lao-xüe versus Metaphysical Lao-xüe

先秦道家思想肇始於春秋戰國之際的老子，但在戰國中期前後即呈現南北不同的發展與風貌。北方學者以稷下諸子為代表，將老子學說做君人南面之術的發揮，南方學者則由莊子所帶領，特就心靈境界的拓昇開顯以及精神理想的恢宏超拔來定義老子的思想，本文乃稱此戰國老學的兩大主流為「政治化老學」和「境界化老學」，然後分別從老子哲學中的核心概念，包括：天道、自然、無為、虛靜等，對較出兩種老學事實上亦皆能對此等概念充分把握之，且有效做出符合各自思想特徵之所需的不同詮釋。本文並由此強調，既然政治化老學和境界化老學，都能忠於文本以進行理解的活動，那麼其相互間有著不同意涵之發現，此正應驗了詮釋學所謂之「歷史視域」的開啟，其彼此在老學中的地位，就應該是平等並存的，至於我們只要願意公平審視這兩種老學的義理內容，不但將更容易體會老學的豐富性，而且還可以自我鼓勵，進一步藉由「視域的融合」，以為老學更多元、更精采的未來做出必要的表白。

Taoist Thinking in pre-Qin period busts out from Lao-zi during the Epoch of Spring-Autumn and Warring States; however, it appears diametrically opposed to preaching between north and south. Ji-xia thinkers represent the north scholars who take Lao-zi as a guide to assist emperors to establish and maintain the strongest possible government. On the other hand, Zhuang-zi pilots the south scholars who adapt Lao-zi as a study to explore human minds and surpass mental ideas. The two mainstreams of Lao-xüe during the Epoch of Warring States narrated in this article are declared as Political Lao-xüe and Metaphysical Lao-xüe. Resulted in both scholars, in fact, fully absorb these concepts and effectively lead to diverse interpretation based on different way of thinking through main concepts in Lao-zi philosophy including: Tian-dao (God's way), Nature, Wu-wei and Xüjing. Since both Political Lao-xüe and Metaphysical Lao-xüe are based on the original text, the varied expositions in between evidence a beginning of so-called “Historical Horizon.” The position of each in Lao-xüe shall be equal and stand side by side. Thus, it won't only be much easier to appreciate an abundance of Lao-xüe, but also encourage us to express Laoxüe clearly through “Fusion of Horizons” as long as we are keen to examine these two mainstreams equally.