“五四”东西文化论战再反思

Reconsideration to the Debates about East-West Culture

自清中叶开始,中国社会和文化进入了一个转型时期,多种文化互相激荡,新的文化逐渐生成。当时的东西方文化之争作为特有的文化历史现象,昭示着中国历史巨变所蕴涵的现代意义,然而,很少有人注意到这场论争是在以西方为中心的前提下讨论东方文化能否继续存在。当然,这样的一场争论,其政治意义超过了文化意义,所谓的文化中心也不是固定不变的。

From the middle of Qing Dynasty, the society and culture in China met a turning period. Various cultures agitated each other and new culture gradually formed. As a special cultural historical phenomenon, the cultural debates between east and west showed the modern meaning when China met the great historical change. However, few noticed that the debate was such that took the western as the center and discussed whether eastern culture could exist any longer. In fact, the political meaning of the debate exceeded its cultural meaning. The cultural center is not unchangeable.