哲学起源于希腊说置疑

Questioning the Greek Origin of Philosophy

哲学起源于希腊、哲学在本质上是西方的这一观念,长期以来被学术界视为不言自明的真理。这种观点具有如下问题:完全忽略了古希腊文明产生的历史与地理因素;抹去了古代亚非文明中不同的哲学形态及其对古希腊文明之繁荣所起的重要影响;把哲学当作是一种具有不变内核的实体,忽视了哲学概念本身所具有的复杂而多变的历史。从思想史、从海德格尔哲学的角度审视这一哲学起源于西方希腊之说的源起与发展,援引维特根斯坦的一个思想实验以从义理上进一步说明,我们可以清晰地看到,这种西方近代以来所形成的哲学起源于希腊之说包含着浓厚的主观因素,束缚着人们的学术视野与胸襟。摆脱哲学起源于并等同于西方哲学等等偏见,将会有效地祛除中国哲学发展中诸多不必要的限制与禁忌。

That philosophy originates in Greece and so philosophy is Western in its nature has long since been regarded as an evident truism. This view has ignored the concrete historical and geographical elements in the birth of ancient Greek civilization, and neglected different forms of philosophy embedded in ancient Afro-Asiatic traditions as well as their indispensable contribution to the flourish of Greek civilization. In the meantime, this view treats philosophy as a substance with an unalterable inner core and the notion of philosophy as something without a complex history of evolvement. The present article examines the origin and development of the doctrine that philosophy originates in Greece from the perspective of intellectual history and Heidegger＇s philosophy respectively. It also attempts to enhance relevant points by invoking one of Wittgenstein＇s thought experiments. The article claims that disposing the view that philosophy is Western in its origin and nature will help remove unnecessary ideological obstacles and restrictions in the development of Chinese philosophy.