20世纪中国文学主体问题三论

A Three-dimension Approach to the Subject of the 20th Century Chinese Literature

本文以传统中国文学和现代西方文学为两大参照系，以２０世纪中国文学主体问题为切入点和主要论域，着重讨论了２０世纪中国文学的主体精神、主体品格，以及主体思维和运思方式这三个问题。作者认为：就传统中国文学和现代西方文学而言，其主体精神可以分别概括为“它律性的自律”和“互约中的自由”。２０世纪中国文学虽然在主体精神方面开始了“从自律到自由”的世纪性转折，但其发展路径和本质，则可表述为“自由与它由间一种摇摆不定和奇怪的混合”。与之有关的，是２０世纪中国文学主体在基本品格方面所表现出几个较普遍明显的特点，即“忧患情结”、“否定意识”、“悲剧色彩”。此外，在思维类型尤其是方式方面，２０世纪中国文学主体也具有自身的特点：它一方面承续着中国民族思维和文化的“象本位”传统，同时又受染于西方“符本位”的科学和理性精神，在审美“观照－读解－判断－表述”诸环节表现出以“符象互补、符象合一”

Taking both traditional Chinese literature and modern western literature as two frames of reference, this paper mainly focuses on three topics concerning the matter of the subject of the 20th century Chinese literature: the subjective spirit, the essential feature, as well as the thinking mode and pattern of the 20th century Chinese literature. The author points out that if the subjective spirit of traditional Chinese literature and modern western literature could be described separately as 'heteronomous autonomy' and 'contractual freedom', the subjective spirit of the 20th century Chinese literature could be recapitulated as ' a swing between and medley of freedom and heteronomy'. It is probably for this reason that the subject of the 20th century Chinese literature bears obviously these basic characteristics: 'complex of anxiety', 'consciousness of negativity', and 'character of tragedy'. Besides, the subject of the 20th century Chinese literature has its own essence and tendency in thinking mode and pattern: On one hand, it still inherits the traditional way of Chinese thought and culture, which could be epitomized as 'Xiang-oriented'. On the other hand, it also assimilates the new idea of science and logos from modern western civilization,which is mainly 'Sign-oriented'. Therefore, in several stages of creative or critical process such as perception, intuition, reading, judging and representation, the subject of the 20th century Chinese literature conducts a new way of thinking, which could be expressed as 'Sign-Xiang-oriented'.