語言與道：《老子》的語言策略與致虛工夫

Abstract

本文企圖論證《老子》書中的語言具有特別的使用策略，為《老子》的語言可以被皆析為「道的語言」及「日常溝通語言」二類。《老子》所以使用「道的語言」，其目的是為了矯正人們在長久使用「日常溝通語言」後，所形成的思考慣性及惰性。改變這種由語言運作所成的思考慣性及惰性，可以視為是老子「致虛極」「守靜篤」的修養工夫，因此《老子》中的語言使用就和他所談論的修養工夫，形成一個密不可分的結構。

This paper will attempt to show that there is a specific linguistic strategy employed in the Laozi and that the language used therein can be divided into two types: the “language of the dao” and the language of everyday communication. The “language of the dao” is used for the purpose of offsetting habitual patterns of thinking and intellectual laziness that arise over time from the usage of everyday language. As correcting these side-effects of everyday language use can be seen as a method of self-cultivation along the lines of the Laozi’s methods of “zhi xuji” (致虛極,) “shou jingdu” (守靜篤), use of language in the Laozi and the methods of self cultivation discussed therein form a closely knit structure.