勿让生态美学成为民族主义之张本

Don′t Turn Ecological Aesthetics into the Basis for Nationalism

回望中国环境史,自然环境呈不断恶化之趋势。我们所说的"天人合一",根本就不足以解决中国古代的环境问题,遑论解决今日之环境危机,而且,中国哲学或文化亦非"天人合一"四字所能概括。文明之起源,既仰赖于征服自然,也仰赖于师法自然。将征服自然这一面划给西方,而将师法自然这一面划给中国,以"天人合一"和"天人对立"一对概念来概括中西文化,是现代中国知识分子寻找民族认同感的产物,是在"发明传统"。在环境危机已经成为人类文明危机的今天,借生态美学之名来弘扬中国文化,只会使得我国的生态美学研究成为民族主义之张本。

It can be seen by looking back over the Chinese environmental history that the environmental problem has existed since ancient time.Large-scale deforestation had started at least during the Western Zhou Dynasty.Throughout the time of ancient China,the natural environment showed a trend of steady deterioration.What we call ＂unity between heaven and humanity＂ falls far short of resolving the environmental problem in ancient time,let alone offering a solution to the current environmental crisis.Furthermore,the Chinese philosophy or culture can barely be summed up by the term ＂unity between heaven and humanity＂.The origination of civilization depends not only on conquering nature but also on learning from the laws of nature.Associating conquering nature with the west and learning from the laws of nature with China and summing up the distinction between western and Chinese cultures in terms of ＂unity between heaven and humanity＂ or ＂opposition between heaven and humanity＂ is the product of seeking national identity by Chinese intellectuals and constitutes ＂inventing tradition＂.At a time when the environmental crisis has become a crisis of civilization,advocating the Chinese culture by ecological aesthetics can only turn the study of ecological aesthetics into the basis of nationalism.