本文旨在對「自然」一詞在魏晉時代的使用，作概念史的考察。藉由這種考察，本文試圖解決以下魏晉玄學史上的問題：一、由王弼「名教出於自然」，至阮籍、嵇康「越名教而任自然」，而後郭象「名教即自然」的三階段發展說能否成立。二、玄學的產生與佛教有無關係。本文的結論以為：一、「名教出於自然」、「越名教而任自然」、「名教即自然」的說法並不嚴謹，王弼與郭象有思想上的發展關係，但王弼與阮籍、嵇康的思想只能是並列之關係。二、《莊子注》一書的思想有許多玄學、佛學的交涉跡象，從「自然」一詞的翻譯及使用看來，晉代玄學與佛學之間，似非全無影響之關係。

This paper will present a historical investigation of the usage of the concept of ziran (自然, nature) during the Wei-Jin period. Based on this investigation, we will try to answer the following two questions about xuanxue (玄學, philosophy) during this period: First, is the notion that xuanxue displayed three stages of progression (i.e. from Wang Bi’s idea that mingjiao (名教) developed out of ziran, to Ruan Ji and Ji Kang’s idea of transcending mingjiao to rely on ziran, to Guo Xiang’s idea that mingjiao is equivalent to ziran) a valid one? And second, is there any relation between xuanxue and Buddhism? We will argue first that the notion of a three-stage development in xuanxue is not entirely accurate. Specifically, while Guo’s thought does indeed develop on Wang’s, it can only be said that Wang and the two thinkers Ruan and Ji developed in parallel to each other. Secondly, insomuch as the Commentary on Zhuangzi (莊子注) contains many signs of interpenetration between xuanxue and Buddhism, from the translations and usages of the term ziran, it would seem difficult not to acknowledge the influence of Buddhism on xuanxue.