从“理论东方学”看中村元《东方人的思维方法》

On Nakamura Hajime’s The Chinese Way of Thinking in the Perspective of Theoretical Orientalism

日本佛学家、东方学家中村元的名著《东方人的思维方法》,不仅展示了独特的立场与方法,而且涉及“东方”与“西方”的概念何以成立、各民族的特性与作为区域普遍性的“东方”是什么关系、何以见出“东方思想”的联系性和共通性、对一个民族的思维方法起决定性作用的因素是什么等重要的理论问题,具有“理论东方学”的意义。中村元认为,“东方”不是单一性的文化,但东方思想具有一定的普遍性;他以“民族”为基本单元,在对印、中、日等东方民族思维方式及其特征的概括中,强调各自的民族特性,重在各民族的“辨异”而不是东方的“认同”,同时又以“佛教受容的形态”作为东方人思维方法的共同层面与研究的切入点,从而使得“东方”这一区域共通性的概念得以体现。

The Chinese Way of Thinking,the masterpiece of Japanese Buddhist philosopher and orientalist Nakamura Hajime,not only provides a unique position and approach,but also addresses his theoretical thoughts.His discussion mainly includes four aspects:the establishment of concepts of"the Oriental"and"the Occidental",the specificity of each nation and their relation to the general idea of"the Oriental",the linkage and universality of"the Oriental thought",and the key factors which affect a nation's way of thinking.These discussions are of crucial significance for Theoretical Orientalism.Nakamura believed that"the Orient"is not a homogeneous culture,but Oriental thought is universal.He took nation as the basic unit to examine the modes of thinking and the characteristics of the Oriental nations,such as India,China and Japan.He emphasized the national features of each nation and focused on the difference rather than the common Oriental identity.Besides,he employed"the form of Buddhist tolerance"as a common dimension of the Oriental way of thinking and an entry point for his research,which embodied the concept of"the Orient"as a regional universality.