另一种东方主义:超越后殖民主义文化批判

Orientalism of Another Type: A Criticism Beyond Post-Colonialist Cultural Criticism

后殖民主义文化批判遮蔽了另一种东方主义。西方文化传统中 ,有两种“东方主义” ,一种是否定的、意识形态性的东方主义 ,一种是肯定的、乌托邦式的东方主义。前者构筑低劣、被动、堕落、邪恶的东方形象 ,成为西方帝国主义意识形态的一种“精心谋划” ;后者却将东方理想化为幸福与智慧的乐园 ,成为超越与批判不同时代西方社会意识形态的乌托邦。后殖民主义文化批判只关注否定的、意识形态性的东方主义 ,但是肯定的、乌托邦式的东方主义 ,在西方文化中历史更悠久、影响更深远 ,涉及的地域也更为广泛。它所表现的西方世界观念中特有的开放与包容性、正义与超越、自我怀疑与自我批判的精神 ,是西方文化创造性的生机所在 ,也是我们在现代化语境中真正值得反思。

There are two kinds of orientalisms. One is negative and ideological, and the other is positive and utopian. The negative and ideological orientalism constructs an inferior, passive, decaying even evil orient, while the positive and utopian orientalism praises and idealizes the orient as the paradise of happiness and wits on the earth. The cultural criticism of post-colonialism discovers the former but covers the latter. The positive utopian orientalism has a longer tradition and stronger influences in Western history and shows the creative dimension of dynamic structure of Western modernity. It is worthwhile for us to reflect and learn in the cultural context of modernization.