拆解“结构—能动”的理论迷思 正负情愫交融现象的理论意涵

Toward a Reassessment of the“Structure-Agency”Issue as a Theoretical Myth:The Theoretical Implications of Ambivalence as a Reminder

至少自20世纪70年代以后,由"结构—能动"二元互斥对彰概念所经营的论述成为西方社会学理论的重要课题。本文从西方社会思想的发展脉络出发,试图从哲学人类学存有预设以及认知模式的角度来拆解这一论述议题可能内涵的基本特质——理性至上、认知导向、结构外在制约化与二元互斥对彰观,并进而指出,在当前以符号消费为导向的后现代场景中,这一论述架构不足以妥贴地掌握整个时代的脉动,无法处理诸如正负情愫交融这一当前社会的重要社会心理现象。因此,我们需要新的思维模式以及哲学人类学的存有预设,亦即新的社会学思维。

Ever since the 1970＇s, the ＂structure-agency＂ predicament has emerged as one of the most important theoretical issues in the Western sociology. This paper is designated to elaborate the meta-theoretical foundation （such as philosophical anthropology and epistemology） underlying the ＂structure-agency＂ predicament by tracing back to Thomas Hobbes＇ s theory of appetite in the 17th century as a historical source from which the predicament emerged. It is concluded that the entire predicament shares the following conceptual imperatives., supreme rationality, cognitive direction, structural constraints as an external force, and the dualism of structure versus agency. In the current postmodern condition with symbolic consumption, however, such a descriptive framework is unable to capture the pulse of the contemporary era or to sufficiently deal with many emerging phenomena such as symbolic exchange and ambivalence the psychological state with both positive and negative emotions and its historical significance. What is unusual is that, in the past, Western thinkers （including sociologists） used to require logical consistency as a prerequisite to human cognizance and to view the psychological ambivalence with a negative attitude. Such social psychology as having resulted from the enlightened rationality is incapable of effectively getting the deep cultural implications of this psychological state. It is thus vital for us to develop a new style of thinking and a brand new philosophical-anthropological presupposition in dealing with the condition of human existence that is, we need a new sociology. In effect, Nietzsche of the 19th century foresaw the unique significance of symbolic exchange and ambivalence to human civilization. His concepts of ＂the eternal recurrence of the same＂, ＂ araor fati ＂, and such, can serve as the crucial foundation to tackle those issues that have emerged in the postmodern condition. Furthermore, the notion of self-cultivation through the exercise of will to power in order to materialize the figure of ＂overman＂ can thus be regarded as the conceptual paradigm in response to the theme of ＂structure-agency＂ as well as to the reconceptualization of agency.