试论老子之“善”
李晓英
摘要：作为一个概念，老子“善”是对利物不争、不分疏万物、超越形名制度等行为及其结果的价值判断。在具有伦理判断的名词“善”或“善者”中，老子明确界定“善”是像水一样利物不争的属性，具体包括治理者对敌对方的果而不强、不分化万物、超越形名等行为，此为老子“善”之首义。形容词“善”之工巧高明的含义表明了治理者利物不争、不与万物对峙、超越形名等行为的对象性特点，使主体获得难以用理性说明的幽玄神秘的境界，此为老子“善”之独特性。工巧高明的行为亦具有伦理价值判断意味，老子“善”的独特性相通于“善”之首义。“善”亦可作副词“善于”讲，修饰治理者利物不争的行为。“善”还可作动词，具有以之为善、推崇看重之意，围绕的仍是治理者不分化万物、利物不争之行为原则。“善”是对道或接近道之利物不争等行为及结果的价值判断，亦是对德之一即玄德的颂赞，体现了老子的价值观。
A Discussion of “Goodness” in Laozi’s Idea
Li Xiaoying
As a concept, “goodness” in Laozi’s idea refers to value judgment of the acts and results of benefiting all things without striving, not dividing things, and transcending system of form and name. Through the nouns “goodness” or “kind man” which bear ethic judgment, Laozi clearly defined the attribute of goodness as benefiting all things and harming nothing, just like water; that is the primary meaning of “goodness” in Laozi’s idea. The adjective “good” indicates objective characteristics of the managers’ acts of benefiting all things without striving, not opposing things, and transcending system of form and name, which makes subjects obtaining mysterious realm difficult to be explained with rationality; and that is the uniqueness of “goodness” in Laozi’s idea. The uniqueness of goodness is interlinked with its primary meaning. It also can be used as the adverb “be good at” modifying the managers’ acts of benefiting things without striving. In addition, it can be used as a verb with the meaning of considering something as good, valuing, and praising highly, which still revolves around the managers’ behavior principle of benefiting things without opposing and striving. “Goodness” is value judgment of the acts and results of benefiting all things without striving which express or approach Dao, as well as the praise of the “virtue of the mysterious”. It just reflects Laozi’s value.
