叠加与凝固---重思中国文化史的重心与主轴

Integration and Solidification:Rethinking the Core of the History of Chinese Culture

"中国"以及"中国文化"的复杂性促使我们在探索并重写"中国文化史"时,必须反思其重心和主轴到底是什么这个基本问题。这包括:第一,即使仅仅是汉族的中国文化传统,也是由各种源头不同、性质不同的文化杂糅起来的,不宜采取"一脉单传"的方式来书写中国文化史。第二,由于古代中国的文化在历史上曾经历了若干次"叠加"与"凝固",中国文化史的主轴正应当在于书写这一凝固与叠加的复杂过程。第三,由于现代中国继承了传统中国,特别是清帝国复杂的族群血缘、领土疆域与文化传统,因此,什么文化才是"中国的"?这一点需要中国文化史格外重视。第四,由于中国经历了晚清民初的历史巨变,文化传统处在"断续"之间,那么,当前中国"认同"的文化基础是什么,即成为绝大的问题。因此,中国文化史特别需要关注"民族"、"疆域"、"宗教"以及"认同"等问题,尤其是需要讨论,在历史中,"中国"如何型塑"文化","文化"如何塑造"中国"这样一个重心,并由此设定其叙述的主轴。

The complexity of China and Chinese culture urges us to reflect on the fundamental problem of what is at its core.This reflection reveals a few basic truths:first,even the Chinese cultural tradition of the Han nationality is a mixture of different kinds of cultures from different origins,so it is inadvisable to write the history of Chinese culture as the single historical thread of one group of people.Second,since the ancient Chinese culture has undergone several instances of integration and solidification(or unification),the axis of the history of Chinese culture should be placed within the complicated process of integration and solidification.Third,since modern China inherited traditional China,especially the complicated ethnic groups,territories,and cultural traditions,studies in the history of Chinese culture should pay special attention to what kind of culture is the'Chinese'.Fourth,since China has been fluctuating between states of continuity and discontinuity ever since the late Qing and Republican era,what is the cultural foundation of contemporary Chinese identity becomes an enormous problem.Therefore,the study of the history of Chinese culture should emphasize the problems of nationality,territory,and religion in relation to the people's'identity',and one especially needs to focus on the problem of how 'China'shaped'culture',as well as how 'culture'shaped'China'.