‘자연’이라는 용어의 이해에 대한 논의는 동서양의 철학사에서 결코 빼놓을 수 없는 큰 주제이다. 그런데 여기서 제기되는 주요 문제 중 하나는 우리가 일상적으로 사용하는 ‘자연’, 그리고 도가사상, 특히 노자에서 보이는 ‘自然’, 또한 서양의 용어 ‘nature’는 내재적 뜻이 상이하다는 것이다. 본 논문에서는 이러한 자연에 대한 상이한 이해를 전제로 비판이론의 막스 호르크하이머 철학과 도가사상, 특히『노자』를 중심으로 각각의 철학체계 안에 드러난 자연 개념에 대한 이해에 그 논의의 초점을 맞춘다. 그러한 논의의 방법은 호르크하이머의 입장에서 노자의 자연 개념을 해의하고 비교 상론하는 것으로 진행된다. 그 구체적 방법은 호르크하이머의 철학을 초 ․ 중 ․ 후기로 구분하고 각 시기에 나타난 자연개념의 측면에서 노자의 자연개념과의 같음과 다름의 그 외연적 한계를 설정하고 공유적 가정에 접근하기로 한다. 그러한 작업은 ‘자연에 대한 지배’, ‘자연과의 조화’, 그리고 ‘자연으로부터의 초월’ 등의 기준을 통해 구체적으로 논의된다.

The argument how to understand the term 'nature' is one of the big subjects which can never be leaved out in the history of philosophy in East and West. And one of the important issues rising from here seems that the internal meaning of 'nature' are different from each other among our ordinary usage, Laozi, and the western culture. In this article on the assumption of this kind of different understanding of nature it will be focused on the discussion of the understanding of the concept of nature revealed in each philosophical system in Max Horkheimer of Critical Theory and Loazi of Taoism. The argument will be proceeded in the method of uncovering and comparing the term 'nature' of Laozi from the viewpoint of Horkheimer. That is, from the perspective of the concept of nature appearing in each of the early, the middle, and the latter periods of Horkheimer's thought, it will be argued by ways of approaching the common presupposition as well as defining the denotive limits of the similarities and the dissimilarities with that of Laozi. Furthemore this work will be discussed according to the criteria of 'control of nature', 'harmony with nature', and 'transcendence from nature'.

The argument how to understand the term 'nature' is one of the big subjects which can never be leaved out in the history of philosophy in East and West. And one of the important issues rising from here seems that the internal meaning of 'nature' are different from each other among our ordinary usage, Laozi, and the western culture. In this article on the assumption of this kind of different understanding of nature it will be focused on the discussion of the understanding of the concept of nature revealed in each philosophical system in Max Horkheimer of Critical Theory and Loazi of Taoism. The argument will be proceeded in the method of uncovering and comparing the term 'nature' of Laozi from the viewpoint of Horkheimer. That is, from the perspective of the concept of nature appearing in each of the early, the middle, and the latter periods of Horkheimer's thought, it will be argued by ways of approaching the common presupposition as well as defining the denotive limits of the similarities and the dissimilarities with that of Laozi. Furthemore this work will be discussed according to the criteria of 'control of nature', 'harmony with nature', and 'transcendence from nature'.

Max Horkheimer, Laozi, the concept of Ziran, control of nature, harmony with nature, and transcendence from nature