自由主义话语与人文精神——关于沈从文

On Shen Congwen's Liberal Discourse and Humanistic Spirit

作为一个不加入任何党派团体的自由主义者,沈从文的创作历程、生命历验都与中国现代自由主义的命运息息相关;他与主流话语疏离的边缘姿态使沈从文的创作成为与新文学运动、革命文学相异的另类写作,也可以说是另一种意义上的民间写作。沈从文的一生从开始写作到最后搁笔是中国现代自由主义作家命运的真实缩影,具有典型意义。沈从文作品在对平凡乡村生活的叙述中表现出来的对千年不变的生存方式的隐在思考,既有着对生命庄严和美丽的感慨,也有着对愚昧、静止背后的隐痛和担忧。到底是用传统文化来救弊现代理性,还是用现代文明来纠偏乡村的野蛮愚钝,这是沈从文没有解决的问题,也是中国的民族道德重建中需要理清的问题。

As a non-party liberalist,Shen Congwen's literary creation and life experience are closely related to modern Chinese literalism.His unique writing style,separated from the mainstream of New Literature Movement and revolutionary literature,may be regarded as a folk writing in a sense.Shen's life,from his beginning of writing to the end of it,is a true epitome of a modern Chinese liberal writer.In his narration of ordinary country life,Shen's works present his inner reflection on the way of life which had not been changed for hundreds of years.He sang for the solemnity and beauty of life,and worried about the ignorance and stillness behind it.Should we save modern rationality with traditional culture or correct the country ignorance with modern civilization?Shen could not solve this problem,and it is also what we need to clarify in reconstructing morality of Chinese nation.