“认知转向”:文学研究的新机遇

"Cognitive Turn" : the New Chance of the Literary Studies

近年来,认知文学研究的迅速发展引起了国内外部分学者的焦虑。一些国外学者声称认知文学研究忽视了"传统",是一种"折中主义",有沦为"还原主义"和"极简主义"的危险;部分国内学者也对文学的"认知转向"持怀疑态度。究其原因,一是人文科学与自然科学两种文化的长期存在割裂了两个学者群体之间的联系,一些学者因不了解认知科学和认知文学研究而对此领域持有偏见;二是认知文学研究在发展初期存在一些阶段性的瑕疵,导致部分学者对认知文学研究产生怀疑。分析表明,学者们对认知文学研究的批判其实是对新生事物的一种过度焦虑。认知文学研究借鉴认知科学的相关理论和方法,目的是解决文学问题,以"认知"为切入点深化传统的文学研究。因而文学的"认知转向"不仅不会使文学丧失"文学性",反而为文学研究走出"后理论"困境提供了新的机遇。

Recently,the rapid development in Cognitive Literary Studies has bring about anxieties and skepticism among scholars both at home and abroad.Some scholars abroad scold cognitive literary studies for its blindness to tradition,the potential backfire of eclecticism,a new essentialism and a reductionist teleological thinking;while some domestic scholars also adopt a skeptical attitude to the"Cognitive Turn".Their anxieties and skepticism can be attributed to two aspects:for one thing,due to the gaps or contradictions between the two cultures of humanities and sciences,some people know little about Cognitive Science and Cognitive Literary Studies,thus have a prejudice against this area;for another,Cognitive Literary Studies exhibits some temporary flaws in the early stage of its development,which leads to some scholars'skepticism.The analysis shows that their skepticism towards Cognitive Literary Studies is in fact excessive anxieties on newborn things.Cognitive Literary Studies drawing insights and methods from Cognitive Science aims to answer literary questions and solve literary problems.It approaches to literature from"cognition"and promotes traditional literary studies.The"cognitive turn"in literary studies provides a new road for literary studies out of the"post-theory"dilemma,rather than makes literature"literarinessless".