日本的技术史研究概况

Historical Studies on Technology in Japan:An Overview

本文回顾了近现代日本的技术史研究概况,也涉及技术社会经济学、技术哲学等领域。相关发展分为三个阶段:(1)20世纪30年代开始严肃探讨技术哲学及相关社会问题,研究方法源自马克思主义学派,由此开创了一个新的领域——技术论(Gijutsu-ron)。他们关注技术社会-哲学、技术社会学之类的问题,也尝试开展技术史的研究。与此不同,另一个学派秉持技术乐观主义,强调几乎所有的社会和经济问题都可以通过加强工业中的科学研究来解决。(2)二战后马克思主义学派的学术地位显著上升并分化为两个方向。一方认为技术的本质是对"客观规律的主观运用",另一方则认为技术的本质是"劳动手段体系"。此外,"技术文化史"学派也很活跃,他们非常重视技术演进的文化特征,开展实证研究,成效显著。(3)20世纪80年代出现新的学术潮流,认为日本经济增长的历程是世界上最成功和最普遍的经验之一。他们否定马克思主义学派和"技术文化史"学派曾赋予日本的"落后"、"畸形"和"文化特殊性"等观点,也产生了很大的影响力。同时,"科学-技术-社会论"(STS)和"技术体系的社会建构论"也传播到了日本。

This paper aims to trace the development of historical studies on the socio-economic aspects and/or philosophical issues of technology in modern Japan,dividing it into three phases;(1)Serious discussion about philosophical and social problems concerning technology began only in the 1930 s.The original approach to philosophical and social issues related to technology was initiated by the Marxian school.Pioneering the way for a new branch named"Gijutsu-ron,"a sort of socio-philosophical and sociological study on technology,they tried to develop their historical studies on technology.In contrast with this Marxian school,another current developed an optimistic view of technology,insisting that almost all social and economic problems could be solved by enhancing the intensiveness of scientific research in industry.(2)After the Second World War,the Marxian school,the intellectual authority of which rose radically,diverged to two directions;while one group considered that the essence of technology is the"conscious application of objective laws,"the other group considered it to be"a system of labor means."Besides them,a current called"Cultural History of Technology"flourished,producing fruitful empirical studies,which attached great importance to the cultural aspects of technological progress.(3)In the 1980 s,there appeared a new trend that regarded Japan’s historical experience of economic growth as one of the most successful and universal experiences in world history,rejecting the basic concepts settled in the Marxian school and"Cultural History of Technology"school,such as"backwardness,""distortion,"and"cultural peculiarity."Their view had a great impact.In addition,the"Science,Technology and Society(STS)"approach and"Social Construction Theory"were also introduced during this period.