中國形上學的三個向度

The Three Dimensions of the Chinese Metaphysics

10.7065/MRPC.200302.0003

鄔昆如(Peter Kun-Yu Woo)

形上學 ； 物理 ； 倫理 ； 隱喻 ； 儒家 ； 道家 ； 孔子 ； 孟子 ； 老子 ； 莊子 ； 內存 ； 超越 ； 存有 ； 本體 ； Metaphysics ； Physic ； Ethic ； Metaphor ； Confucianism ； Taoism ； Confucius ； Mencius ； Laotzu ； Chuangtzu ； The Inner Existence ； Transcendence ； Being ； Ousia

哲學與文化

30卷2期（2003 / 02 / 01）

3 - 18

繁體中文

1.Being different from both the 'literal meaning' of the western metaphysics and in certain sense the 'real meaning' of 'Meta-physica', the inner meaning of Chinese metaphysics would be broader, that is to say, in addition to 'Meta-physica', there are 'Meta-ethica' and 'meta-phorica' in Chinese metaphysics. Of course, the 'supra-physic' of the metaphysics of 'Meta-physica' still takes 'conformity' as the criterion of judgment. And the 'supra-ethic' of 'Meta-ethica' and the 'supra-symbolic' of 'Meta-phorica' take 'experience' and 'understanding (Aletheia)' as the way to the truth. 2. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) is the originator of the metaphysical approach of 'Meta-physica', and Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274), the great philosopher in the Middle Ages, takes it to the summit. From the modern time onwards, owing to the rapid development of physics, metaphysics, which is based on physics and at the same time 'transcends' physics, faces a rough time. The father of modem philosophy, Rene Descarte (1596-1650) makes metaphysics equal with physics. The confoundedness of metaphysics and physics, however, is not enough to curb the tendency of reason towards the realm of metaphysic. Then the German philosopher Immanuel Kant ( 1724-1804) attacks on the one hand the principle of causality and criticizes on the other hand Rationalism and Empiricism, which leads to many crises, especially sacrificing metaphysics to make basis for physics. Moreover, Empiricism and its later development, Analytical Philosophy, deny the possibility of metaphysics. Thus metaphysics encounters an enonnous catastrophe. Fortunately, the contemporary Neo-Scholastic Philosophy with its millennial tradition of 'Philosophy perennis' gradually surpasses the approach of 'Meta-physica' and tries to communicate with modern sciences in order to recover the glory of metaphysics. 3. The approach of ' Meta-physic a' examines the reality behind the sensible world by virtue of observing the sensible world, which is the same as the way of thinking in the Great Appendix of the I-King. Take a classic example, Fu Shi draws the eight trigrams by virtue of observing the world, which could see through the power of the divine and the imperceptible expressions of all things. However, Confucianism is always the mainstream of Chinese philosophy, of whose thought morality is the core. The Confucian metaphysics is therefore 'Meta-ethica', whose way of thinking is looking for the ultimate basis of morality through 'moral prescription. Starting with Confucius (551-479B.C.), besides proposing various virtues, and doing what is good and avoiding what is evil, Confucianism points out the philosophical question 'Why is morality' and meanwhile in certain respects gives explicit answers to it. The notion of 'Heaven' is the central idea. 4. In addition to the Confucianism, there is Taoism in the Chinese philosophy. Starting with Laotzu (ca. 571-467 B.C), Taoism is regarded as having profound metaphysical thought. The Taoist discussion of 'Tao' could be seen as a standard theme of 'ontology'. Whereas, Tao-fe-king affirms the 'Tao' as the' unnamed Tao' which can only be understood through 'metaphor', Therefore his metaphysical achievement has the character of' Meta-phoric'. Although 'Tao' can only be 'named as Tao' ,yet its metaphysically ontological character is still manifested. 5. Mencius (372-289 B.C.), on the one hand, changes Confucius' transcendental 'Heaven' into the inner existence by virtue of the theories of 'knowing Heaven through studying mind and nature' and 'knowing Heaven through cultivating mind and nature'. In the Sung and the Ming Dynasties, the Neo-Confucianists put all things in the human mind, which really arrives at the realm of 'the Ultimate Idealism'. Chuangtzu (ca. 369-286 B.C.), on the other hand, transforms Laotzu's transcendental 'Tao' into the inner existence through his theory of ‘Tao in excrement.' This thought of 'Tao is everywhere' has become the Taoist Pan-theism for two thousand years. 6. No matter whether 'being' is ontological transcendence or inner existence, and no matter whether it is ideal or pan-theistic, the ways of thinking of the Chinese metaphysics can still be seen from the three dimensions: 'Meta-physica', 'Meta-ethica', and 'Meta-phorica'.

1.Being different from both the 'literal meaning' of the western metaphysics and in certain sense the 'real meaning' of 'Meta-physica', the inner meaning of Chinese metaphysics would be broader, that is to say, in addition to 'Meta-physica', there are 'Meta-ethica' and 'meta-phorica' in Chinese metaphysics. Of course, the 'supra-physic' of the metaphysics of 'Meta-physica' still takes 'conformity' as the criterion of judgment. And the 'supra-ethic' of 'Meta-ethica' and the 'supra-symbolic' of 'Meta-phorica' take 'experience' and 'understanding (Aletheia)' as the way to the truth. 2. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) is the originator of the metaphysical approach of 'Meta-physica', and Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274), the great philosopher in the Middle Ages, takes it to the summit. From the modern time onwards, owing to the rapid development of physics, metaphysics, which is based on physics and at the same time 'transcends' physics, faces a rough time. The father of modem philosophy, Rene Descarte (1596-1650) makes metaphysics equal with physics. The confoundedness of metaphysics and physics, however, is not enough to curb the tendency of reason towards the realm of metaphysic. Then the German philosopher Immanuel Kant ( 1724-1804) attacks on the one hand the principle of causality and criticizes on the other hand Rationalism and Empiricism, which leads to many crises, especially sacrificing metaphysics to make basis for physics. Moreover, Empiricism and its later development, Analytical Philosophy, deny the possibility of metaphysics. Thus metaphysics encounters an enonnous catastrophe. Fortunately, the contemporary Neo-Scholastic Philosophy with its millennial tradition of 'Philosophy perennis' gradually surpasses the approach of 'Meta-physica' and tries to communicate with modern sciences in order to recover the glory of metaphysics. 3. The approach of ' Meta-physic a' examines the reality behind the sensible world by virtue of observing the sensible world, which is the same as the way of thinking in the Great Appendix of the I-King. Take a classic example, Fu Shi draws the eight trigrams by virtue of observing the world, which could see through the power of the divine and the imperceptible expressions of all things. However, Confucianism is always the mainstream of Chinese philosophy, of whose thought morality is the core. The Confucian metaphysics is therefore 'Meta-ethica', whose way of thinking is looking for the ultimate basis of morality through 'moral prescription. Starting with Confucius (551-479B.C.), besides proposing various virtues, and doing what is good and avoiding what is evil, Confucianism points out the philosophical question 'Why is morality' and meanwhile in certain respects gives explicit answers to it. The notion of 'Heaven' is the central idea. 4. In addition to the Confucianism, there is Taoism in the Chinese philosophy. Starting with Laotzu (ca. 571-467 B.C), Taoism is regarded as having profound metaphysical thought. The Taoist discussion of 'Tao' could be seen as a standard theme of 'ontology'. Whereas, Tao-fe-king affirms the 'Tao' as the' unnamed Tao' which can only be understood through 'metaphor', Therefore his metaphysical achievement has the character of' Meta-phoric'. Although 'Tao' can only be 'named as Tao' ,yet its metaphysically ontological character is still manifested. 5. Mencius (372-289 B.C.), on the one hand, changes Confucius' transcendental 'Heaven' into the inner existence by virtue of the theories of 'knowing Heaven through studying mind and nature' and 'knowing Heaven through cultivating mind and nature'. In the Sung and the Ming Dynasties, the Neo-Confucianists put all things in the human mind, which really arrives at the realm of 'the Ultimate Idealism'. Chuangtzu (ca. 369-286 B.C.), on the other hand, transforms Laotzu's transcendental 'Tao' into the inner existence through his theory of ‘Tao in excrement.' This thought of 'Tao is everywhere' has become the Taoist Pan-theism for two thousand years. 6. No matter whether 'being' is ontological transcendence or inner existence, and no matter whether it is ideal or pan-theistic, the ways of thinking of the Chinese metaphysics can still be seen from the three dimensions: 'Meta-physica', 'Meta-ethica', and 'Meta-phorica'.

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