文化、地理与城镇化:城乡关系的文明之辨

Culture,Geography and Urbanization: Civilization Debate on Urban-rural Relation

我们已经步入一个人文地理的时代,文明或文化正在成为未来发展的核心话题。就城镇化研究而言,文化地理和文明应该成为必然的视角和价值关怀。在研究的方法论上,可以采取灵活、多元、批判的态度。中国与西方从历史时期到现代城镇化的文化地理背景和条件是有差别的。通过重新解读和引申《荷马史诗》等经典,比较古代中国与希腊在城乡关系和文化地理上发展的差异,可以看到中西城镇化道路的文化地理异同。从长期历史视角看,中国一面临海的地理格局促生了制度上的重农抑商,文化上的重乡轻城,这在经典理论中都有反映。城镇化与城乡关系的演进,是地理、社会、文化和政治制度共同作用的结果。文化与文明是一种归根结底的力量与理念。

It is an era of human geography. Civilization or culture is becoming the core topic of the future development. In the study of urbanization, and cultural geography and civilization are the necessary perspectives and value concerns. As for the research methodology, flexible, plural and critical attitude should be adopted. Cultural and geographical contexts and conditions are different between China and the West in history and modern urbanization. The paper compares ancient China with ancient Greece in urban-rural relations and cultural and geographical differences based on the new interpretation and extension of the literary classics like the Homer Epic, and demonstrates the cultural and geographical differences in Chinese and western urbanization paths. From a long-term historical perspective, the geographical pattern that China is near the sea on one side contributes to its attaching greater importance to agriculture over trade institutionally, and prioritizing rural growth over urban growth culturally which have been reflected in the classical theories of economics and sociology. Urbanization and urban-rural relation evolution are the outcomes of the interaction among geographical, social, cultural and political systems. Culture or civilization is the ultimate strength and faith.