重新定位文学批评史的断裂——论文学史的创立在文学元语言演变中的意义

The Significance of Literary History in the Evolution of Literary Meta-language

长期以来,中国学者对西方文学批评史的分期是以二十世纪的语言论转向作为主要的断裂点,把文学批评的内部转向作为文学批评和理论的革命性变革。然而,实际上,19世纪的科学化转向在西方文学批评史上具有更加重要的地位,语言论转向不过是科学化转向的必然后果之一。19世纪文学批评的认识论转向重新定义了文学元语言的目的和功能,现代大学体系的建设和科学话语的发展使文学批评走向了认识论的道路,文学元语言从审美走向认识。在某种意义上来说,文学史批评确定了对文学批评的"科学要求",而语言论转向是对这一要求的实现。文学元语言抛弃价值判断是当前文学危机的重要原因之一。

Contemporary Chinese scholars usually take the hnguistic turn as a major watershed in Western literary criticism, and this view takes the intrinsic transition in literary criticism and theory as a revolutionary change. The paper argues that the ＂scien- tific turn＂ of the 19th century weighs more in the literary criticism history, and that the linguistic turn is merely a necessary con- sequence of the scientific turn. The epistemological turn of 19th century＇ s literary criticism redefined the objectives and functions of meta - language in literature, while the creation of modem universities and the evolution of scientific discourse also led literary criticism to the epistemologieal direction, and the use of meta - language shifted from aesthetics to epistemology. It can be argued that criticism on literary history established the ＂scientific requirement＂ of literary criticism while the linguistic turn came to be the manifestation of the requirement. The paper concludes that one of the major reasons behind current literary crisis is depriva- tion of value judgment from literary meta- language.