对“进步”概念的哲学重审——兼评建构主义的“进步”观念

A Philosophical Reconsideration of the Concept of Progress:With Comments on the Constructivist Idea of Progress

本文通过考察"进步"概念的起源和演进,指出了在哲学上重审这一概念的必要性与可能性。通过分析"进步"概念所包含的两个基本因素,即事实因素和价值因素,以及进步的过去向度和未来向度,作者勾画了进步概念的基本结构,探讨了人类为何可以朝积极的方向塑造未来。虽然进步意味着向好的方向转化,但进步的时间结构并不以直线性的方式展开。开放的进步观与开放的理性观密切相关。对"强进步类"和"弱进步类"的区分表明,进步的标准是多样的。但从政治人类学的观点来看,进步要以增进人的自由、尊严与幸福为目标。我们虽然要以进步的观点看进步,但我们也需要以批判的观点看进步,因为"进步不仅解决问题,而且产生问题"。

Bringing to light the origin and evolution of the concept of progress, the author points out the necessity and possibility of taking the concept ＂progress＂ into philosophical reconsideration Through a comparative analysis of two basic elements in progress, namely, the element of fact and the element of value as well as two dimensions of progress, that is, past and future, the paper describes the basic structure of the concept of progress and explains why we can open the future in positive direction. For the author, although progress means ＂to become better,＂ the temporal structure of progress does not deploy itself in a linear way. An open view of progress is closely related to an open view of rationality. Distinguishing between strong progress class and weak progress class shows diversity of the standard of progress. However, from the point of political anthropology, progress aims at human freedom, dignity and happiness. We need to consider the progress from the point of progress and in a critical way, because ＂progress not only solves the problems, but causes the problems＂.