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“Te-Tao” and “Nature-Freedom”:Metaphysical Construction of Chuang-tzu’s Theory of Mind Order(PDF)

《南京师大学报》(社会科学版)[ISSN:1006-6977/CN:61-1281/TN]

Issue:
2014年05期
Page:
15-
Research Field:
Publishing date:

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Title:
“Te-Tao” and “Nature-Freedom”:Metaphysical Construction of Chuang-tzu’s Theory of Mind Order
Author(s):
ZHANG Ting-gan
Keywords:
ideology mode of “Te-Tao” nature-freedom mind order metaphysical construction
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DOI:
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Abstract:
Over the relationship between heaven and man, controversies have been confined to the understanding of Chuang-tzu’s philosophy from an objective naturalism perspective. This limitation obscures Chuang-tzu’s theory of mind and its implications for moral philosophy concerning the ontological and axiological issues about how people can lead a life in line with their human nature. In order to develop an adequate understanding of Chuang-tzu’s theory of mind order, it is necessary to grasp his two pairs of dichotomies, i.e. “Te德-Tao 道” and “Nature-Freedom”; the former constitutes the ontological dimension of mind order and the latter its practical principle. On this understanding, the tensions between nature and morality, between individuality and universality, and between individual life and moral entity can be reduced to the principles governing morality and mind order. Based on his distinction between noumenon and phenomenon and his investigation of the relationship between nature and freedom, Chuang-tzu did not only reflect profoundly on human moral existence and reveal its ontological dimensions, but also further opened the important practice dimension of social ethics by thoroughly examining natural mind and the ethics in reality. Thus his way of probing into the relationships between the natural order and the moral values and between natural mind and moral history can help us get a good vision for values of modern rational morality.

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Last Update: 2014-10-05