告别“大理论”,转向“小叙事”

Away from “Grand Theory”,Towards “Little Narratives”

理论与叙事的关系是当前西方学术界的热点问题。一方面,曾经风靡一时的大理论在当代文化中遭到了抵制和质疑,而另一方面叙事却重新回归到人文学科的话语中心地位,人文科学正在经历着一场"叙事转向"。本文在分析了大理论的弊病和大叙事的危机之后,指出普遍化和统一化的研究范式已失效,取而代之是具体化、情境化、多元化的小叙事。小叙事不仅可以为理论提供合法化的元叙事话语,并且可以克服理论自身无法摆脱的总体化的困境。以叙事的方式来谈论理论自身,也许是后理论时代理论研究的最佳途径之一。

The relation between theory and narrative is a hot issue in current western academia. On the one hand,grand theory which was once popular was critically resisted,on the other hand,narrative return to the centrality of the humanities. To some extent,humanities are undergoing a 'narrativist turn'. After analyzing the problems of grand theory and the crisis of grand narrative,the article notes that the research paradigm of generalization and unification has failed,instead of little narratives characterized by specific,context and diversity. Little narratives could not only contribute the metanarrative discourse to the legitimation of theory,but also overcome the overall dilemma that theory itself can not escape. In the post-theory era,it may be one of the best ways to do theory with narrative ways.