“偏斜”和“自由”在伊壁鸠鲁自然哲学中占据着重要地位。马克思对这两者关系的表述是:一方面“偏离直线就是自由意志”,另一方面“用偏斜来论证自由就是多余的”。这两个表述只有在表面化的和无内在联系的理解中才是自相矛盾的。相反,如果认识到伊壁鸠鲁的自然哲学与德谟克利特的自然哲学的根本差别并深入到伊壁鸠鲁的体系中,我们就会发现,它们之间并无矛盾,而是完全统一的,二者从正反两方面说明了“偏斜”与“自由”的关系,共同构成了马克思对伊壁鸠鲁哲学中“偏斜”与“自由”关系的完整解读。

The concepts of “declination” and “freedom” occupy an important position in Epicurean philosophy. Marx’s expressions of the relationship between them are, on the one hand, that “the declination from the straight line is the free will”, and on the other hand, that “the declination as an explanation of freedom is superfluous”. These two expressions seem to be inconsistent if the causes for the declination of the atom from the straight line are understood superficially and disconnectedly. On the contrary, if we grasp the essential difference between the Democritean and Epicurean philosophy and go deep into the Epicurean philosophical system, we will find that these expressions, as two aspects of one subject, are internally consistent and in their totality form the complete interpretation of the relationship between “declination” and “freedom”.