印順法師的佛學思想：新實用主義的詮釋

Abstract

本研究採取新實用主義（neo-pragmatism）的視角對印順法師思想予以再審視，將其佛學研究涵蓋的論題子集所表達的中心思想作一綜貫式的概述。中觀哲學的性空（śūnyatā）所表現的「反哲學」（antiphilosophical）立場，與羅蒂（R.M. Rorty，1931-2007）的新實用主義哲學有著共同的基礎，使得我們將印順法師的佛教論述放在哲學的公共知識框架成為可能，其目的是使我們的討論更具「公共性」與「普遍性」，能使我們對印順法師思想的認識具有新的維度，更重要的是能夠使傳統佛學研究走入現代人的視野。 緣起學說是佛教的核心，《中論》以八不來說明緣起首先否定了因果關係的確證，使得所有基礎主義的緣起學說的論證都不可能，否定了將任何概念的自性化或實體化（hypostatize）的企圖，這種反基礎主義的哲學方法即中觀哲學的核心，具體表現在印順法師的佛學研究中。印順法師將所有佛教研究對象──佛說、法與律──皆視為時空中的存在，皆有揮不去的社會歷史層面，佛說是度化眾生而假施設的權宜之計──方便（upāya），因此他的研究是反客觀性的「歷史詩學」觀點，肯定經典中的文學性及「流行的佛法」。印順法師的思想實質上是一種「歷史主義」（historicism）與「工具主義」（Instrumentalism）的「唯名論」（nominalism），否定「真理符合論」，不再相信核心的信念背後還有一個超越時間與機緣的基礎，主張「諸行無常」（偶然性）的合法性。「真理」是假名施設，離不開人類的需要、語言、歷史，「真理」只是一種在文化領域中使生活更加美好及趣向解脫的讚詞，都是暫時的人類計畫。印順法師繼承中觀學哲，適應現代而成一種「自由主義的反諷主義者」（liberal ironist），以實效取代求真，以想像力的追求取代客觀性的追求，用希望取代知識，創造新隱喻來取代佛教歷史中的舊方便，使佛教能成為適應新時代、鼓鑄世界性的新文化。

In this study, the neo-pragmatism angle is taken to re-examine the thought of Master Yin Shun’s Buddhist studies, and makes a comprehensive overview of the central ideas expressed in the subset of the thesis covered by his Buddhist studies. The "anti-philosophy" position expressed by the philosophy of emptiness （śūnyatā）of Madhyamaka and the neo-pragmatism of R.M. Rorty（1931-2007） share the same foundation, which makes it possible for us to put the Buddhist discourse of Master Yin Shun in the public knowledge framework of philosophy. The purpose is to make our discussion more "public" and "universal", which will enable us to have a new dimension in our understanding of the thought of Master Yin Shun. More importantly, it can make traditional Buddhist studies enter the vision of modern people. The theory of dependent origination （pratītya-samutpāda）is the core of Buddhism. The Mūlamadhyamakakārikā first negates the confirmation of causality by saying negation in eight aspects of dependent origination , which makes the argumentation of the doctrine of dependent origination of all foundationalism impossible , and negates the attempt to materialize or hypostatize any concept. The anti-foundational philosophical method is the core of the Madhyamaka school, which is expressed in the Buddhist studies of Master Yin Shun. Master Yin Shun regards all Buddhist research objects—Buddha said, Dharma, and Vinaya—as the existence in time and space, and all have social and historical aspects that cannot be swayed. The Buddha said is an expedient measure of false construction for the purpose of enlightenment of all beings -- convenient (upāya). Therefore, his research is an anti-objective concept of " the poetics of history ", confirming the literariness in the sutra and the Dharma that changes in history. In essence, the thought of Master Yin Shun is a kind of nominalism of historicism and Instrumentalism, negation " the correspondence theory of Truth " , no longer believing that there is a foundation behind the faith that is transcends time and opportunity, and advocates the legitimacy of "the impermanence" (contingency). "truth" is prajñapti , which can not be separated from human needs, language, history, and "truth" is just a term of praise for making life better and more interesting in the field of culture, and it is a transitory human project. Master Yin Shun inherits the Madhyamaka school, adapts to modernity and becomes a liberal ironist, replaces truth with actual effect, replaces the pursuit of objectivity with the pursuit of imagination, replaces knowledge with hope. To create a new metaphor to replace the old convenience in the history of Buddhism, and make Buddhism adapt to the new era and drum up a new cosmopolitan culture.