符号的伦理与美学的伦理——从莱辛《拉奥孔》的中国接受谈起

Ethic Dimensions of Code and Aesthetics——Reflections on the Chinese Reception of Lessing's Laocoon

莱辛的《拉奥孔》是18世纪启蒙运动中最完善的对诗歌和绘画的符号学论述,也是21世纪中国文论界回应"图文之争"的重要资源。拉奥孔雕像,不仅是一个视觉符号,更是具有审美理想和伦理意蕴的符号。莱辛在《拉奥孔》文本中不是一个只对符号的能指和功能属性津津乐道的后现代主义者,而是一位对符号的所指——审美理想和民族精神等伦理意蕴充满深切热情的启蒙主义者,顺应符号自身的特性以建构统一的德国民族文艺的美学家。《拉奥孔》的中国解读,从钱钟书、朱光潜直至新世纪以来的当下文论界,每种视角各有意义,也各有偏废。将批评的学理性和科学性与理论的现实意义相统一的解读,将符号的功能特性与伦理意义、民族的精神世界有机结合起来的理论,才是完整的对莱辛的解读,才是建构中国文论和美学的方向。

Laocoon by Lessing is not only an elaborate semiotic interpretation of poetry and visual art in the 18 th century Enlightenment, but also an important resource used by Chinese scholars to deal with the argument between picture and word. The statue of Laocoonis is both a code with aesthetic ideal and ethic implications. Lessing was not a post-modernist who only focused on the signifier of code, but an enlightenment figure and literary theorist who focused on the ethic meaning and the building of German national literature. The differences explained about Laocoon in China, from Zhu Guangqian, Qian Zhongshu to the present researchers, all had their own values and limitations.The future development of Chinese aesthetics and literary theory should combine scientific analyses with ethics and spirit values of a nation.