阮籍的自然觀

Juan Chi’s Concept of Nature

阮籍（西元210～263年），字嗣宗，是曹魏時代的竹林名士。《晉書•阮籍傳》說：籍本有濟世志。屬魏晉之際，天下多故，名士少有全者。籍由是不與世事，遂酣飲為常。據此可知，阮氏的人生態度，前後是有所轉變的。大體而言，早年受儒家思想影響較深，研讀《詩》、《書》，企慕聖賢，重視忠義氣節，想在濟世事業上有所作為。後來，閱歷多了，就逐漸傾向於道家。好《老》、《莊》，嗜酒，能嘯，善彈琴，並且欣羨神仙生活。阮氏的主要著作，〈樂論〉、〈通易論〉，多植根於儒家思想，可認為是他的前期作品；而〈通老論〉、〈達莊論〉及〈大人先生傳〉，則明顯地歸宗於道家，可認為是他的後期作品。值得注意的是，上述各篇無論是屬於前期抑或後期的作品，其中都出現 「自然」這一概念，而且這個概念在各篇中竟都居於思想的核心地位。在〈樂 論〉，「自然之道」是「樂之所始」；在〈通易論〉，「道自然」可以「成功 濟用」、「以左右民」；〈通老論〉中，聖人必須「達於自然之分」；〈達莊 論〉中，「天地生於自然」，而人在天地間也是「體自然之形」的。至於〈大 人先生傳〉，那位「陵天地而與浮明遨遊無始終」的主人翁，其實就是「自然 之至真」的化身。這樣看來，阮籍的思想，說他是以自然這個概念一以貫之的，當無可疑。無論是在他傾向於儒家抑或道家思想的時候，「自然」始終是天地萬物的體性，而「道自然」則是他一生所堅持的返本復始的工夫主綱。

“Nature” is the core concept in Juan Chi's thought, and throughout his life Juan's conception of “the way of nature” comprised the guiding principle in his process of self-cultivation. This essay is based on an objective reading of Juan's writings on nature, with the aim of providing precise explanations of his conception of nature and the direction of his thought. The main points of this essay concern Juan's views regarding the fundamental meaning of nature, and his application of this understanding to methods of self-cultivation. In addition to detailed study and analysis of extant documentation, we also compare Juan's thought to the closely related thought of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu. In this comparison we can clearly see where Juan's thought is indebted to the Lao-Chuang school, and where his original contributions lie. According to my investigation, Juan's conception of nature simply takes nature as nature; he proposes no false or rash views about the basic meaning of nature, but rather develops a conception of the unity of nature. Furthermore, he creates a methodology of personal cultivation based on this sense of unity in nature. In his later years Juan's understanding of nature was quite similar to that of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu. However, his views on self-cultivation are not at all like the Lao-Chuang emphasis on achieving open-mindedness and tranquility. Instead, his theory of self-cultivation actually tends toward a longing for primitive harmony and a desire to wander in a supernatural (or transcendental) world. His indebtedness to the Lao-Chuang school of thought, then, is rather limited. Juan Chi's writings belong to the Wei-Chin genre of other wordly wanderings (yu-hsien wen-hsueh), opened up through Juan's creativity.