中印比较视野下的现代性、民族主义、精神与世俗——Peter van der Veer思想述评

Modernity, Nationalism, the Spiritual and the Secular in China and India:A Review on Peter van der Veer's Works

本文述评了Peter van der Veer比较印度和中国的现代性经验的研究,即关于自殖民时期到后殖民时期,两国民族主义、现代性努力、宗教和世俗势力之间的纠缠和演化的研究。本文认为van der Veer的中印比较研究对曾占支配地位的"现代化理论范式"进行了反思,他主要挑战了将欧美的现代性作为理想型、而非西方社会的现代性只是对西方现代性的模仿的观念,以及世俗化的观念。本文介绍了他相关思想的几个重要方面,尤其"帝国的现代性"情境下中印民族主义与宗教的关系、世俗化作为国家工程在两国的发展和两国表征在身体上的民族精神即瑜伽和气功。本文最后指出了van der Veer中印比较研究中的一些不足,但仍然认为他的思想是开拓性的,他对世俗化理论和其背后的现代化理论的挑战和反思代表着这个领域最先进的理念。

This article reviews Peter van der Veer＇s works on the modernity experiences of India and China,particularly o n the entanglement of nationalism,strive for modernity,religion and secularity in these two nations from colonialist era to post-colonialist era. Van der Veer＇s research reflects upon the once dominant＂modernization thesis＂,mainly challenging the idea that Western modernity is the ideal and the modernity of non-Western societies is imitation of the former,and also questioning secularization thesis. This paper introduces the main aspects of his thoughts,especially the relationship between religion and nationalism in India and China in a context of ＂imperial modernity＂,secularism as a national project,and spiritual nationalism embodied in Yoga and Qigong. Finally,the paper lists some weaknesses of his comparative study,but also suggests that despite these weaknesses,his works on China-India comparison are still groundbreaking,standing out from the works offering a counter-argument to secularization and modernization thesis.