一种古典的理性启蒙观——对柏拉图“洞喻”和“线喻”的一种现代解读

A Classical Concept of Rational Enlightenment——A Modern Interpretation of Plato's Cave and Line Allegories

在西方哲学的路径里,"启蒙"似乎仅仅特指中世纪以来的"启蒙运动"或"启蒙思潮"。然而,如果打破这种特定的"启蒙"话语而拓展启蒙的视野,回溯柏拉图的"洞喻"和"线喻"并进行认真探究,则这两个比喻所相互映现的正是一种古典的"理性启蒙"观。那么,在柏拉图的视阈里,为何启蒙?如何可能启蒙?启蒙具有何种特性?启蒙之人性究竟发生何种变化?以上诸类问题,都需要进行梳理和阐释。

In the Western philosophy, enlightenment seems to refer to ＂the Enlightenment＂ or ＂the trend of enlightenment thought＂ ever since the medieval times only . However, if the specific reference is ignored, the meaning of enlightenment is enriched. With tracing back and probing into Plato＇s cave and line allegories, it＇s found that the two allegories reflect a classical concept of rational enlightenment. We may ask such questions as why enlightenment is needed, how enlightenment is made possible, what characteristics enlightenment possess and how human nature is changed with enlightenment. This paper focuses on straightening out the above questions.