陈炎先生的学术次第与学术贡献

The Academic Accomplishments of Chen Yan

陈炎先生的专业是中国语言文学,学术训练却是哲学美学,其美学研究对中西文化异同、反理性思潮、文明与文化等前沿问题尤为关注。陈先生早年从事美学研究,因成功论说"积淀说"与"突破说"在学界崭露头角;中年后渐由美学转向中国思想史,尤其对先秦诸子学用力最著。与"原教旨儒家"不同,先生力斥罢黜百家、独尊儒术的学术态度,他不建议将儒学观念作形而上的本体化提升,而是希望同时超越"第三期儒学"狭隘的续统意识以及乾嘉学派单一的研究方法,跳出儒学以反观儒学。在后期学术研究中,先生措意于"中华传统文化的创造性转换""文化多样性与和谐世界构建"等热点问题研究,希冀不同文化在相互交往中能逐渐寻找出可以被异域文化所接受的"最大公约数",进而向人类共有的"文明"准则不断靠拢。

Chen Yan's major is Chinese linguistics, but his academic training is philosophy and aesthetics. His researchpays particular attention to frontier issues such as the similarities and differences between Chinese and Westerncultures, anti-rational thoughts, civilization and culture. Early on, he was engaged in aesthetics research,famous for his research on the “accumulation theory” and “breakthrough theory”. Later on, he gradually shiftedfrom aesthetics to the history of thought in China, especially for pre-Qin philosophers. Unlike the “fundamentalConfucianism”, Chen opposed the academic attitude of “dethroning all schools of thought and respectingConfucianism alone”. He did not suggest that the concept of Confucianism should be metaphysically improved.Instead, he hopes to transcend the narrow continuation of the “third-stage Confucianism” as well as themonotonous research method of the Qianjia School, reflecting on Confucianism from the observer's point ofview. Later still, Chen drew attention to research on hot issues such as “creative conversion of traditionalChinese culture” as well as “cultural diversity and the construction of a harmonious world”, hoping that differentcultures will gradually find out the “greatest common divisor” acceptable to all cultures in their interactions, andreach a common understanding and recognition on the norms of “civilization” that we all share.