自然演化抑或人文教化:对新自然主义的一种批评

Natural Evolution or Cultivation: A Criticism of Neo-Naturalism

最新一轮自然主义运用演化论和神经科学等生物科学中的研究成果对人文学科提出了一些批评,"教化"的可能性及合法性是焦点之一。新自然主义认为,文明教化事业远非人们长期公认的那么重要,因为人的禀赋早已在漫长的演化中形成脑结构并固定下来;人与动物之间具有强连续性,人根本没有"自由"意志做违反自然"法则"之事,相反应当为其自然性感到骄傲和满足。教化作为对自然的干扰是无用而有害的,是"扭曲人性"。然而"新科学"在自然研究方面的成功并不能保证自然主义的"新思维"对人文学科的批判之有效性。人性固然有其自然的一面,但并不完全是自然的,它有超自然的维度,表现为追求自由并有责任意识。人之为人不是脑科学和演化论能充分说明的"事实",而必须靠文明教化来"生成"。

The latest naturalism,based mainly on recent research findings in evolutionism and neuroscience,has made some common criticisms on arts and humanities. One of the key attacks is about the possibility and legitimacy of＂paideia（ cultivation） ＂of humanities. In neo-naturalists’ opinion,the education in the sense of civilization by means of cultivation is of much less importance than people have long believed,because the human nature has been fixed in the form of stable neuro-structure during long-time evolution. Furthermore,neo-naturalism emphasizes the strong continuity between human beings and animals,and thinks that humans have no ＂free ＂will to do anything against natural ＂rules. ＂Moreover,humans should be proud of their natural qualities. Cultural cultivation,as interference to nature,has always proved to be in vain and harmful,because it is a ＂distortion of human nature. ＂But this paper argues that the success of ＂new science＂in natural research cannot assure the validity of the critique from naturalists on humanities. Human nature surely has a natural side,but that is not all the story; it also has a trans-natural side,which can be seen particularly in the pursuing of freedom as well as taking responsibility. The human condition is not a ＂fact＂that can be explained completely by neuroscience and evolutionism but a ＂product＂formed through civilizing cultivation.