论地方性知识及其局部合理性

On Local Knowledge and Its Local Rationality

经典认识论具有非文化中性、语境无涉和覆盖面过窄的特点。因此,有必要进一步探讨不同文化的地方性知识,扩展认识论的研究领域。首先,在认识论、文化人类学、知识社会学和科学哲学相关研究的基础上,地方性知识概念的内涵可以被概括为:它是文化的一个组成部分,具有社会-文化语境相关性和本土文化空间内嵌性等特点,以及评述和适应环境的功能。其次,从描述性辩护和规范性辩护两条途径为地方性知识的局部合理性辩护,进而表明对于它在其中产生的文化社群及其语境而言,地方性知识是能够被社群接受、满足需求、适应环境的恰当手段,而没有任何出于他文化的理由可以拒绝这种局部合理性。最后,我们提出一个面向地方性知识的跨学科研究领域:地方化认识论。

Traditional epistemology appears as culture-biased,context-free and range-limited.It is necessary to investigate local knowledge in different cultures so that the research field of epistemology can be expanded.Firstly,based on the relevant researches in epistemology,cultural anthropology,sociology of knowledge and philosophy of science,the meaning of local knowledge can be summarized as follows:it is a constituent of culture,characterized as socio-cultural context relevant and local-cultural space embedded,functioning as interpreting,evaluating and adapting to environment.Secondly,the descriptive defense and the normative defense of the local rationality of local knowledge show that local knowledge,for the cultural community and context within which it is produced,is the proper approach which is accepted by community,satisfies community’s needs and is adaptive to environment.There is no reason of other cultures for refuting this local rationality.Lastly,we put forward an interdisciplinary research field which is local knowledge oriented,i.e.,local epistemology.