互联网与公共领域:西方经验与中国语境

Public Sphere in Cyberspace:Western Experience and Chinese Context

在详细回顾“公共领域”这一概念的起源、发展、特征等基础上,梳理了国内外学者对“互联网是否促成公共领域”这一问题的争论。研究认为,互联网的开放性、及时性、交互性、低成本和去中心化等特征有利于人们自由发言和自主讨论,但当前国内网络空间中依然存在的数字鸿沟、群体极化、网络暴力、娱乐肤浅等乱象并不符合哈贝马斯提出的“地位平等”、“理性商议”等构成“公共领域”的要件。文章指出,在将“公共领域”理论移植到中国时,需要考虑具体的国情和体制,机械照搬西方学者的理论要避免削足适履的问题。

This paper reviews the origin,development and characteristics of the concept of“public sphere”and the debate about whether the Internet has contributed to the public sphere at home and abroad.We suggest that the openness,timeliness,interactivity,low cost and decentralization of the Internet are benefit to people’s free speech and independent discussion.However,the digital divide,group polarization,cyber violence and entertainment phenomenon are not conforming to the criterion of“equality of status”and“communicative rationality”in public sphere proposed by Habermas.From our prospect of view,it is necessary to consider the specific national conditions and systems when transplanting“public sphere”theory to China.