在本文中，本人從隱喻的語言層面、心理層面、形上層面，來討論法國哲學與歐洲哲學和中國哲學的可能對話與相遇之道。由於隱喻的類比性質，既相似又不相似，使人的思維得以超乎經驗和邏輯的限制，發揮齊物與民主的精神，而能以多聲帶、多元論述的方式，來呈露實在本身甚或終極實在的豐富面貌，而不會落入黨同伐異的經驗描述或邏輯論述，也因此頗適於發揮歐洲哲學與中國哲學中的靈活成份。我藉著隱喻中所揭示的差距進入崇高的討論。從李歐塔平面的崇高，回到康德垂直的崇高，也藉此顯豁出康德的動態崇高仍有所不足。雖然人總是熱切地嚮往無限，然而，在西方哲學看來，總難免有天人二元對立，人被界定為主體，而在垂直的崇高之中，主體會自覺渺小，敬畏無限，終究無以接近無限。比較起來，中國哲學嚮往莊子所謂遊於無窮，與造物者遊，更適於雖有限而願無窮的人性。總之，曲徑可以通幽，而幽徑裡也還可以分出岔路，然而重點在於終究可以藉著哲學活動獲得心身的自由，而在自由中又仍與多元他者、與終極實在有著親密的動態關係。

This paper was first delivered as a speech at the “Workshop on Chinese Philosophy and Interpretation” organized by the Department of Philosophy, National Chengchi University on December 13, 2008,then polished now as a paper based on the textual record keyed-in by Prof. Molly Chuang. In this paper, I’ll discuss the linguistic,psychological and metaphysical levels of metaphor to work out a scheme of thought in which Chinese Philosophy and contemporary French philosophy in particular, or European philosophy in general, could meet and dialogue with each other. The use of metaphor brings human thought,by its analogical nature, i.e. a way of thinking that holds in view both similarity and difference, continuity and discontinuity, to go beyond the limit of empirical description and logical reasoning, which, though neutral in appearance, are quite often used in party-taken, biased criticism, or in dominative discourses. Metaphor could encourage a vision of reality that is multifaceted and analogical, and a form of discourse that is pluralistic, equalitarian and democratic that would allow Chinese philosophy and European philosophy to meet anddialogue on their vivid and creative components.
Then, I’ll enter into a discourse on the sublime through the concept of
difference revealed by my discussion of metaphor. I make the distinction
between “horizontal sublime” and “vertical sublime,” and thereby I
characterize Lyotard’s concept of sublime only as horizontal, and move
on to Kant’s vertical sublime all in showing its limit. It is true that in the feeling of sublime there is always a dynamic element of enthusiasm.
However, in the tradition of Western aesthetics, there is always the
presupposition of a dualistic relation between Heaven and Human.
Human being is seen as a subject and is defined by its subjectivity, and,
in the feeling of sublime, the subject of the aesthetic feeling of is always repressed by the infinite, to the extent of feeling small, with a sense of awe in the face of the unapproachable infinite. However, in Chinese philosophy, as in the case of Zhuangzi, human is in play with the infinite,which according to my interpretation, fits more human nature in finitude looking for an intimate relation with the infinite, the ultimate reality.