文化哲学视野中的文化概念——兼论西方马克思主义的文化批判理论

Concept of Culture in the Perspective of Cultural Philosophy:On Cultural Critical Theory in the Western Marxism

广义文化的内容非常广泛,指与人相关的一切行为与结果,是与自然相对应的概念。在这个意义上,只有与自然相对比,才能理解文化的意义。狭义的文化概念,即与经济、政治相对应的文化概念,这个意义上的文化概念与人的思想意识相关。从思想观念的意义上来讨论文化,可以把文化划分为以下三个层次:一是沉淀在人心灵深处的文化模式,这种模式更多的是体现了人们的自发观念。这些自发的观念包括风俗习惯、面对外部世界的刺激而产生的自发心理意识以及无意识选择、自发的情感与意志力等,它们形成一种文化结构,形成了一个相对封闭的系统,并扩展到整个民族的生活,形成个人与集体的惯性行为系统。二是日常生活层面的文化观念。从文化的趣味来区分,可以把日常生活层面的文化分为大众文化与精英文化。法兰克福学派的文化批判理论对此进行了深入的分析,认为大众文化的形成与发展和消费社会的兴起直接相关,大众文化以及与之相关的文化工业体现了资本的内在要求,造成了社会的同质性。文化的第三个层面,即文化的形而上层面、人类的理想层面,它为人的存在及其历史提供最终的根据。在历史的演进中,正是文化的这一部分沉淀为人们的集体无意识,并对人们的日常行为产生直接的影响。在这个层面,文化的指向是如何让人得到真正的解放,从而实现人的潜能、实现社会的和谐。

Corresponding to the concept of nature, culture in its broad sense refers to all behaviors and their consequences related to human beings. Thus, culture can only be understood when set against nature. Culture in its narrow sense is a counterpart of economy and politics, and in connection with human thinking and consciousness. In this context, culture can be put into three lev-els: The first is cultural pattern, which is deeply rooted in human mind, and represents spontaneous mentality of human beings, including customs, spontaneous psychological consciousness and unconscious selections, spontaneous emotion, will, etc. All of them formulate a cultural structure, a relatively closed system, and extend to the life of people, resulting in an inertial behavioral system of individuals and community. The second is culture on the level of daily life,which may be divided into popular culture and elite culture, as is the major theoretical theme of critical theory of Frankfurt School. In its view, popular culture can be reckoned as the consequence of emergence of consumer society, and considered as the inner requirement of capital,which leads to the homogeneity of society. Third, culture on the level of metaphysics and ideal,which provides the foundation for the existence and history of human being. In the history of human being, culture on this level forms the collective unconsciousness and exerts influence on human behavior. Hence, culture on this level refers to the liberation of human being and the realization of human potential and social harmony.