User Upload Audio - 复旦大学·王德峰【哲学课堂】1-2柏拉图理念论&天人合一——中西方文化差异的渊源 - YouTube
发布时间:2022-09-12 16:00:00
原节目
这段文字呈现了一场复杂的哲学讨论,对比了西方和中国的思想,重点关注于对世界的不同看法和生活方式,并大量借鉴了柏拉图主义、佛教(尤其是禅宗)、儒家思想和道家思想中的概念。
演讲者首先提出,尽管受西方思想影响,现代中国人倾向于将世界视为一个需要不断“改造”的系统,但这种思想本质上是西方的,而非中国的,并且与传统的中国哲学形成鲜明对比。
他引用《金刚经》中的“三义” (“如来说世界,即非世界,是名世界”)来阐述这一观点。他解释说,这个概念否定了世界是被设计或静态的观点。相反,它强调了“缘起性空”的原则,这是一个核心的佛教概念。这意味着事物通过各种条件的汇合而产生,并且缺乏固有的自性。“空”并非指虚无,而是指缺乏固有的、不变的本质。演讲强调,认识到事物的“空”并不否定它们作为各种条件的产物而存在的事实。
演讲者强调,在人生早期理解“三义”的重要性,以避免固着于世界是被设计的这种观念。他从个人经历中汲取教训,特别是他父母的去世,说明了万物无常是多么深刻地感受到,粉碎了我们自然而然地认为的永恒幻觉。他认为,“缘起”教导我们,包括制度和人际关系在内的一切,都 subject to 变化并最终消散。
他批判了根植于柏拉图主义的西方观点,该观点认为存在一个理想形式(“理念”)的世界,而物质世界只是对其不完美的反映。他认为,这种信念导致了想要“改造”世界,使其更好地与那些完美的理想相符的愿望。
为了说明这种方法上的差异,演讲者讨论了西方和中国文化在与自然互动时,“技术” (Teknologie) 和 “艺术” (Art) 之间的对比。演讲者批判了西方“技术”的方法是征服和破坏,而中国的方法更倾向于艺术和理解自然,以达到“天人合一”。他认为,这种对自然的不同方法,是中国文化没有发展出现代技术的原因。这种心态促进了创新和对自然世界的改造,可能导致创造出自然界不存在的东西,例如人造食品(例如氢化油)。演讲者警告说,这可能会产生潜在的破坏性后果。他用“白色污染”和“核能”作为例子。
演讲者认为,虽然西方进步,是由对理想的追求和对世界的改造所驱动的,已经带来了诸如先进的农业技术之类的成就,使人类摆脱了对自然的完全依赖,但也导致了危险的后果,例如环境破坏以及技术先进的系统中发生灾难性错误的潜力。
相反,中国思想强调道,即自然秩序,它与日常生活密不可分。他从儒家、道家和禅宗中汲取灵感,强调最终目标是使自己与道对齐,而不是“改造”它。演讲者指出,在中国思想中没有“另一个世界”,除非它存在于我们如何在我们个人和人类生活中建立联系有关。
演讲者强调,虽然佛教起源于印度,但中国的禅宗已经很好地融入了中国思想,并且许多教义的说法和词语都深深地植根于中国文化中。他引用著名的禅宗人物慧能,指出禅宗强调所有众生都具有内在的佛性,无论其社会地位或过去的所作所为如何。这突出了对每个人都具有开悟潜力的承诺,这是一种本质上平等主义和乐观的人性观。
This transcript presents a complex philosophical discussion contrasting Western and Chinese thought, focusing on differing views of the world and approaches to life, drawing heavily from concepts in Platonism, Buddhism (specifically Chan/Zen), Confucianism, and Taoism.
The speaker begins by arguing that while modern Chinese individuals, influenced by Western thought, tend to view the world as a system that needs constant "remodeling," that thought is inherently Western, not Chinese, and contrasts sharply with traditional Chinese philosophies.
He uses the concept of "Three Meanings" from the Diamond Sutra ("如来说世界,即非世界,是名世界" - "The Tathagata speaks of the world, which is not the world, therefore it is called the world") to illustrate this point. He explains that this concept rejects the notion of a designed or static world. Instead, it emphasizes the principle of "dependent origination" (缘起性空), a core Buddhist concept. This means that things come into existence through a confluence of conditions, and that they lack inherent self-nature. The "emptiness" (空) doesn't imply nothingness, but rather the absence of inherent, unchanging essence. The lecture stresses that recognizing the "emptiness" of things doesn't negate their existence as a product of conditions.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the "Three Meanings" early in life to avoid fixating on the idea of a designed world. Drawing from personal experiences, specifically the deaths of his parents, he illustrates how the impermanence of all things (無常) is deeply felt, shattering the illusion of permanence we naturally assume. He argues that "dependent origination" teaches us that everything, including institutions and relationships, is subject to change and eventual dissolution.
He criticizes the Western view, rooted in Platonism, which posits a world of ideal forms ("ideas") that the physical world only imperfectly mirrors. This belief, he contends, leads to the desire to "remodel" the world to better align with those perfect ideals.
To illustrate this difference in approach, the speaker discusses the contrast between "technology" (Teknologie) and "art" (Art) in Western and Chinese cultures respectively, when interacting with nature. The speaker criticizes the western "Teknologie" approach as being one of domination and destruction, while the Chinese approach is more one of art and understanding the nature, to achieve "天人合一 (unity of man and nature)". This contrasting approach to nature, he claims, is why Chinese culture did not develop modern technology. This mindset promotes innovation and the alteration of the natural world, potentially leading to the creation of things absent from nature, such as artificial foods (e.g. hydrogenated oil). This, the speaker warns, can have potentially destructive consequences. He used "white pollution" and "nuclear power" as examples.
The speaker argues that while Western progress, driven by the pursuit of ideals and the remodeling of the world, has led to achievements like advanced agricultural technology that frees humans from complete dependence on nature, it has also resulted in dangerous consequences, such as environmental damage and the potential for catastrophic error in technologically advanced systems.
In contrast, Chinese thought emphasizes the Dao, the natural order, which is not separate from everyday life. Drawing from Confucianism, Taoism, and Chan Buddhism, he emphasizes that the ultimate goal is to align oneself with the Dao, not to "remodel" it. The speaker states that there is no "other world" in Chinese thought, except as it exists in relation to how we relate in our personal and human lives.
The speaker highlights that while Buddhism is originally from India, Chan Buddhism in China is very much integrated in Chinese thought, and many of the sayings and words of the teaching is deeply entrenched in the Chinese culture. Citing the famous Chan Buddhist figure, Huineng, he points out that Chan emphasizes the inherent Buddha-nature of all beings, regardless of their social status or past actions. This underscores a commitment to the potential for enlightenment within everyone, an inherently egalitarian and optimistic view of humanity.