超越“大分流”的现代化比较研究:时空视角下的历史、方法与理论

A Comparative Modernization Study beyond the Great Diversion:History, Methodology and Theory in the Space-Time Perspective

比较现代化研究是社会科学中最为重要的议题之一,要理解现代化就需要从本体论、方法论和认识论的视角去审视现代化的逻辑。从本体论的视角来看,现代化是各个维度的综合性结果,并且这一结果存在诸多客观标准。从方法论的角度来看,简单的中欧比较违背了宏观历史比较研究的基本原则。因此,尽管中国和欧洲在16世纪之前一直是最为繁荣的地区,但两者在16-18世纪期间出现了巨大的差距,然而这个所谓的"大分流"却并非是理解近代世界历史的关键。从认识论的角度来看,建立全球史观是科学认识现代化的关键,纯粹的西方中心主义或东亚中心的思考都会导致现代化的理解与实践的误区。比较现代化研究需要在时空视角下,以波次和地理边界为基础实现全样本分析,逐步积累、勾勒和描绘出全球范围内现代化的图景。

The comparative modernization is one of the most important issues in social sciences.In order to understand modernization,we need to examine the logic of modernization from the perspective of ontology,methodology and epistemology.Ontologically,modernization is a comprehensive result of various dimensions with many objective criteria.Methodologically,the simple comparison between China and Europe violates the basic principle of macro-historical comparative study.Although China and Europe were the most prosperous regions before the 16th century,there was a huge gap between them during the 16th and 18th centuries.However,understanding this great divergence is not the key to understanding modern world history.Epistemologically,a global perspective of history is the key point to understand the modernization scientifically,whereas Western centralism or East-Asia centralism will lead to misunderstandings of modernization.