From Mandate of Heaven to Mission: Semantic Rupture and Subject Reconstruction in Pre-Qin Theories of "Ming"
This article deeply analyzes the semantic fission of the character "ming" (命) in pre-Qin thought, tracing its evolution from divine mandate and innate nature to an active mission, demonstrating that it was not passive fatalism but rather proactive assumption of responsibility beyond cognitive horizons. By re-examining core propositions like Confucius's "knowing the mandate of Heaven," the study reveals the dynamic relationship of Heaven-human interaction in pre-Qin philosophy, showcasing the robust subjectivity and sense of mission within traditional Chinese culture.
Section 1: Laozi: "Returning to Fate is Called Constant" (复命曰常) - Ming as a Return to the Natural State
When discussing pre-Qin "ming," the voice of Daoism is an indispensable supplement. Laozi's use of "ming" is not as frequent as that of the Confucians, but when he does use it, he gets straight to the point.
In Chapter 16 of the Tao Te Ching, it states:
"Attain the utmost emptiness, hold fast to profound stillness. Observe the return of all things as they arise together. All things flourish in myriad ways, each returning to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness. Stillness is called returning to fate (复命, fu ming). Returning to fate is called constant (常, chang). Knowing the constant is called enlightenment. Not knowing the constant, one acts recklessly and invites disaster."(《老子》第十六章)(致虚极，守静笃。万物并作，吾以观复。夫物芸芸，各复归其根。归根曰静，静曰复命。复命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作凶。 Zhi xu ji, shou jing du. Wan wu bing zuo, wu yi guan fu. Fu wu yun yun, ge fu gui qi gen. Gui gen yue jing, jing yue fu ming. Fu ming yue chang, zhi chang yue ming. Bu zhi chang, wang zuo xiong.)
Attain the utmost emptiness, hold fast to profound stillness. Observe the return of all things as they arise together. All things flourish in myriad ways, each returning to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness. Stillness is called returning to fate (fu ming). Returning to fate is called constant (chang). Knowing the constant is called enlightenment. Not knowing the constant, one acts recklessly and invites disaster.
Laozi's "ming" is not a political celestial mandate (Heaven mandates someone to be king), nor is it entirely a moral innate nature and fate (Heaven bestows innate nature upon humans), but an ontological state of the natural condition. All things come from the Dao and ultimately return to the Dao—this entire process from departure to return is "ming." "Returning to fate" (复命, fu ming) means returning to the natural state, returning to the root.
In Laozi's view, "ming" is not an external command but an internal direction of belonging. Every existing being has a "root" to which it must return. Returning to this root is "returning to fate" (复命), which is "constant" (常, chang)—the unchanging principle.
Why is this not fatalism$47 Because the "ming" of fatalism is forced—you have no choice but to be this way. But Laozi's "returning to fate" is natural—all things naturally return to their root, just as water naturally flows downwards. This is not coercion by external forces but the natural unfolding of internal innate nature.
More importantly, Laozi emphasizes "knowing the constant is called enlightenment" (知常曰明, zhi chang yue ming)—you must know this constant to be enlightened. Not knowing the constant leads to reckless action. This implies that "returning to fate" does not happen automatically (at least not for humans) but requires cultivation through "attaining the utmost emptiness and holding fast to profound stillness." Humans can follow their innate nature to return to fate, or they can deviate due to reckless action—the choice lies with humans.