“卫道”与“变革”:张之洞中西文化观的“二律背反”困境探析

“Methodist” and “Reformist”: Analysis of Zhang Zhidong’s predicament of Antinomy in his Viewpoints on Chinese and Western Culture

在近代中国西学东渐的历史背景下,如何厘清中西文化的关系、明确中西文化在彼时中国的定位,成为了亟待解决的难题。清末重臣张之洞对于中西文化的判断论述以及领导的洋务实践都在近代中国产生了重要的影响,推动了近代化的革新和进步。然而正是由于在阶级局限性下,其文化观同时兼有的“卫道”与“变革”的背反之意,最终才导致其亲手创办的汉阳铁厂制造的“汉阳造”步枪成为了新军武昌起义的武器,从而敲响了清王朝灭亡的丧钟。探析其中西文化观之中的二律背反困境,在新时代有助于厘清中西文化的关系,以史为鉴,更好地坚定文化自信。

With western learning introduced into modern China, the collision and exchanges of Chinese and Western cultures and the rule of Qing government were a difficult problem to be solved. And the same was true of how to clarify the relationship between Chinese and Western cultures and to clarify the position of Chinese and Western cultures in China at that time. In the late Qing Dynasty, Zhang Zhidong, as a theorist and doer, had an important influence on the judgment and interpretation of Chinese and Western culture as well as the practice of leading westernization affairs in modern China. Zhang Zhidong led Westernization Movement and promoted the modernization of innovation and progress. Yet precisely due to his class limitations, his cultural viewpoints of both “defending the tradition”and“reforming the society”, fed Wuchang Uprising with “Hanyang” rifles which were manufactured by Hanyang Iron Works set up by himself. Wuchang Uprising tolled the bell for Qing Dynasty.