“阶序人”眼中的《阶序人》:杜蒙之于印度本土人类学

An Objective Review of Homo Hierarchicus:Anthropology in India and Louis Dumont

在印度的社会学人类学研究中,杜蒙对卡斯特体系的研究至今仍被奉为经典。20世纪60年代,受语言、学术传统等因素的影响,刚问世的《阶序人》并没有得到印度学界的重视。直到七八十年代,随着印度本土社会科学的发展及英译本的普及,杜蒙作品的价值才被重新发现。对于印度本土人类学,杜蒙的作品提供了一个可供参照、批评、反思和超越的样本。围绕着《阶序人》,过去关于卡斯特体系的争议不断重现于印度,或者在新的环境下以不同的形式再次发生。而印度乃至南亚社会科学对西方印度研究的多重性态度,也对我们处理自身文化与西方理论之间的关系有一定参考性。

In the field of social anthropological studies in India,Dumont’s study of the Indian Caste system is still regarded as the classics. In the 1960 s,due to language,academic tradition and other factors,the freshly published Homo Hierarchicus did not receive much attention from the Indian academia. The value of Dumont’s work was only rediscovered with the development of social science in India and popularization of its English version in the 1970 s and1980 s. For India’s Anthropology,Dumont’s work provides a sample,which can be referred to,criticized,reflected on and transcended. Around Homo Hierarchicus,disputes over the Caste System have recurred in India or taken different forms under new conditions. This case,which reflects multiple attitude of Indian/South Asian social science,also can be a reference when we discuss the relation between our culture and theory from the west.