从“性理学”到“心理学”——论西周对“psychology”概念的创译

From“Seiri-gaku”to“Shinri-gaku”:On Nishi Amane's Translation of“Mental Philosophy”or“Psychology”

1875年西周翻译约瑟·海文著《心理学》,从此成为东方语境中“心理学”一词的滥觞,但因其所译西语为“Mental Philosophy”并非“Psychology”而被学界所诟病。然而,学界对西周的诟病只是语词使用这一形式上的问题,却忽视了更深层次的问题,这其中包含西方心理学自身发展过程中的蜕变问题;东方传统哲学概念“性”与“心”在东方语境中的具体涵义问题;西方实证主义哲学对心理学方法论的影响问题,以及西周使用东方传统哲学概念与之对应等问题。另外,西周恰巧生活在西方心理学转型期亦不容忽视。

Nishi Amane translated Joseph Haven's Mental Philosophy in 1875 to Japanese and coined the term“心理学”in that translated work.However,his translation was subject to contention because he used the term“心理学”to refer to mental philosophy,not psychology.However,the scholarly attention paid to his translation of the term overshadowed crucial questions,including questions on the development of western psychology,questions on the connotation of“Xing(性)”and“heart”in the context of eastern philosophy,questions on the relationship between empiricism and methodology of psychology,questions on Nishi Amane s attempts of connecting the eastern and the western philosophies.Moreover,Nishi Amane lived in the transitional period of the western psychology and this might have an impact on this translation and philosophical work.