跨文化批判與中國現代性之哲學反思

Abstract

本文透過法蘭克福學派批判理論與當代新儒家的連接，思考跨文化哲學與中國現代性的關係。筆者要強調，無論新儒家的趨向多麼保守或唯心，但在跨文化方面卻比現有歐洲批判理論更為激進。相較於激進的共產革命及其徹底的反傳統主義，當代新儒家的激進意義在今天或許仍難以評估。筆者懷疑，反傳統主義終究是否奠基在中國現代性的偏頗理解之上。中國現代性的潛力是否更能夠迎接西方現代性的挑戰，而同時避免切斷與中國的文化歷史資源的關係，甚至由此獲得吸收和轉化西方現代性的可能性條件？新儒家認為，面對中國的處境，必須進行複雜的兩層批判，即要批評前現代中國的某些面向，又要批評現代西方的某些面向。因而，他們所採取的立場或能初步走出傳統／現代、東方／西方的分裂，只是一開始即被歷史的暴力所壓倒，唯今之日則可逐漸顯示寬闊遠景。近幾年中國的「左翼」知識分子才逐漸擺脫對傳統的盲目否定，重新進入古典中國文化的嚴肅考察。這方面，新儒家的唯心傾向成為批評的焦點。但不該遺忘的是，使得當代漢語思想能積極地邁向跨文化哲學視野，並獲得突破，功勞首在那些保有唯心論和形上學信念的當代新儒家。新儒家宣言的例子顯示，儘管在1958年知識分子強調傳統文化的重要性，並批評共產主義與自由主義觀點，卻也不得不將對中國文化及其過去、現在與未來的反思放入跨文化視野之中。

This paper relates transcultural philosophy and Chinese modernity by addressing Frankfurt School Critical Theory and contemporary New Confucianism. There may be many reasons for being skeptical about New Confucianism but I try to argue that New Confucianism, no matter how conservative or idealistic it may be, is formed by an experience of transcultural dynamics obviously still lacking within European critical theory. Today it is still difficult to evaluate this radical aspect in New Confucianism because it seems to fall back sharply behind the anti-traditionalism of the Communist revolution. I doubt, however, whether this anti-traditionalism has not been based on a very partial understanding of Chinese modernity. Is not the potential of Chinese modernity rather to be located in an ability to learn from Western modernity but to avoid, at the same time, a radical break with the historical resources of Chinese culture? In other words, can the conditions of possibility to receive and transform Western modernity be traced back to these resources? The New Confucian Manifesto of 1958 argues that, confronted with the Chinese situation, it is necessary to undertake a double critique, which, on the one hand, critiques certain aspects of pre-modern China but, on the other side, is also critical about certain aspects of the modern West. The complexity of this position, which goes beyond the simple dichotomies of tradition and modernity or East and West, has been, for decades, cast aside by the violence of history. Now it begins, gradually, to reveal its farsightedness. In recent years, ”left” intellectuals in China have been trying to leave behind the blind negation of tradition and began to reevaluate classical Chinese Culture. The strong idealistic tendency in contemporary New Confucianism thus became a focus of critique. But when reading and interpreting New Confucian texts, one should not forget that those who, consciously and unconsciously, achieved a transcultural turn in Chinese philosophy, were modern Confucians with idealistic and metaphysical convictions. The Confucian Manifesto of 1958 shows that especially those, who insisted on the importance of classical Chinese culture, and criticized the anti-traditionalism of both communist and liberal intellectuals of the time, had no choice but to think about past, present and future of Chinese culture from a transcultural perspective.