重构文化观念——试论威廉斯文化唯物主义理论的当下意义

Reconstruction of the Theory of Culture

英国著名新左派理论家威廉斯所构想的文化唯物主义,既抛弃了那种将文化视为经济活动的从属和附庸的机械决定论,也拒绝浪漫主义那种无限拔高文化作为精神活动的自律性和超越性。而是在历史唯物主义的框架内强调文化的物质性和生产性,突出文化的实践性和创造性,揭示文化作为社会斗争场域的政治意义。文化唯物主义不仅超越了经典马克思主义经济基础/上层建筑理论模式,也是对历史唯物主义宏观理论范式的完善与补充。不但有力地回答了当代社会发展的现实问题,而且可有效地重建历史唯物主义与当代社会现实的联系。

As a Famous British New Left ideologist, Raymond Williams, abandoned both determinism that regards ctdture as subservient to economy and the proposition of romanticism which advocates culture as self-discipline and transcendence. He lays stress on the materialist and productive properties of culture and highlights the practicality and creativity of cuhure. Raymond Williams＇ cultural materialism transcends the model of economic base and superstructure and is a supplement to historical Materialism. It not only gives a response to contemporary reality but also reestablishes the relations between historical materialism and current realities.