先秦儒道哲学中的智、水关系之比较

本文探讨了儒道伦理学中水与道的关系、道与智的关系以及智与身的关系。道家由水而得道 ,贵柔处下 ,谦退自保 ,离人而慕天 ;儒家则乐兼山水 ,道兼刚柔 ,秉仁义而处世 ,自强不息 ,进取有为。两家虽然都因水而知道 ,而处世 ,而修身 ,但所得之道不同 ,所尚之智不同 ,所持的处世修身取向亦不同 ,因此而形成了他们在中国历史上的不同地位和影响

Wisdom and Water in the Early Confucian and Taoist Traditions

This article studies the relationship between water and way, way and wisdom, wisdom and personal body in Confucian ethics and Taoist ethics. Taoism derived the way from water. They value pliability and like to inhabit low places. They maintain an attitude of modesty and prudence and cherish their life. They admire nature and withdraw themselves from human civilization . Confucianism is fond of mountains and rivers. They are both strong and pliable. They treat others and handle their social life with the principles of love (Ren)and justice (Yi)and strive for advance with unremitting efforts. Despite of the fact that they both understand the Tao, conduct their social life and cultivate their morality by drawing analogy with the way of water, they achieve different comprehensions of the Tao, they value different types of wisdom and they have different preferences for the ways of cultivation of moral character, hence assuming different historical positions and exert different influences in Chinese history.