《老子》的水意象－以漢字闡釋為進路

Water-image in Lao-tzu: analysis on Chinese character

吳清海(Wu, Chin-Hai)

《明道學術論壇》 11卷2期&12卷1期 (2020/06) Pp. 25-32

摘要

老子思想中蘊涵諸多水相關的哲學，以水談道論人、以水為師鑒事、以水談治國之道，水可以說貫穿老子人生觀、政治觀。老子的水德思想已有諸多相關研究，主要集中「上善若水」的人生哲學，本文則試由《老子》「水」的間接面向，含有水偏旁的字：「混」、「沖」、「淵」、「清」、「谿」、「濁」……等，以說文解字的理解方式，理解《老子》水之道的處世哲學，如水之沖虛、清靜、柔下、博施善下、守靜去欲等修為。《老子》水德思想中，可以開展出「柔」為真的意志力；「下」為善的道德力；「靜」為美的涵養力，真善美亦是老子藉水而體現的理想人格。

關鍵字

老子 ； 水 ； 道 ； 上善若水 ； 處世哲學

並列摘要

Lao-tzu's thought contains many water-related philosophies. He regards water as the best guider of human beings. Through insighting the nature of water, we can understand the way of cosmos, the way of beings, and the way of politics. Base on the idea of ＂The best of all nature is just like water＂ (上善若水), this article attempts to focus on the water-image in Chinese characters implied by Lao Tzu, such as: Yuan (淵), Qing(清), Brook(谿), Hun(混), etc. These words with water image carry the ideal attitudes of life, such as modesty, tenderness, humble, tranquility , no desire, etc. This paper tries to unfold the power of will hidden in those water-image words. Tenderness (柔) as the truth, humble (下) as the good, and tranquility (靜) as the beauty-they point out the ideal personality of Lao Tzu.

並列關鍵字

Lao Tzu ； water-image ； Taoism ； ideal personality ； philosophy of life