“道教”释义

Research on the Concept of Daojiao

摘要: 在中国古代，“道教”一词属于公共词汇，基本含义乃是“教化之道”“道德教化”“关于‘道’的教导、教义”“‘道’之教说”等，“教派”含义并不明确，宗教性比较淡薄，词性为名词或动词，其具体的对象指谓存在一个历史演变的过程。战国时期墨家用来指称儒家，元明时期又可以指称理学，东汉后期的汉译佛经中用以指称佛教自身、佛教教条、佛教所称外道。东汉后期的道书中开始出现“道教”用例，但是难以信据。南北朝时期在世俗文献及佛道论争的文献中开始出现“道教”与“佛教”对举的用例，但是“道教”一词并非宗教道教的专称。隋唐以后的道书及世俗文献、儒释文献中开始倾向于将“道教”一词作为宗教道教之称，但是亦非宗教道教专称，其他义项及用例并未废止。

Abstract: The concept of Daojiao (Taoism) originated from Mo-tse, and is signified to the methods of humanity, moralization or doctrines about Dao, but lacks the meaning of religious sect. It points to different objects, such as Confucian in the periods during the Warring States Period and Neo-Confucianism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Buddhism and its heretics since the late East Han Dynasty till the late Qing Dynasty. Until the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Taoism became a special name of the religion.