历史、思想与自由的同一——评柯林伍德的《历史和自由》

The Uniformity of History,Thought and Freedom:A Review on R.G.Collingwood History and Freedom

如果说这个时代存在"普世价值"的话,那么当选的必然是"民主"和"自由"。无论在西方还是东方,大部分国家都已接受了"民主"思想,然而"自由"却不似前者那般实在,它似乎有些抽象,仿佛总与个人的思想和精神有关。柯林伍德在《历史和自由》里展现了:看似风马牛不相及的历史和自由,通过他精致的分析,竟融汇在了一起。而且,通过这一联系,现代历史的观念与近代个人的观念回溯到了相同的源头,即它们都是启蒙思想下的同胞兄弟。

If ＂universal moral values＂ exist in current society, then they must be ＂democracy＂ and ＂freedom＂. Whether in the West or the East, most countries have already accepted the ideology of ＂democracy＂. However, the concept of ＂free- dom＂, which seems no longer as tangible as before, is a little abstract, as if it always has something to do with personal thoughts and spirits. In his book History and Freedom, R. G. Collingwood（1889-1943）, through his wonderful analysis, demonstrates to us that, history and freedom, which seem to have no close connection with each other at all, are actually unified. Through this link, we can find that the modern ideas of history and the concepts of modern individuals trace back to the same source= they are virtually blood brothers out of the same mother enlightenment.