论博物民族志

Chinese“Bowu”Studies:An Ethnographic Approach

在生态危机、生物—文化多样性面临严峻挑战的今天,学科、学术、学问也亟待重新定位。博物学作为一门学科,作为一种知识,作为一种方法都值得特别关注。近代以降,人类学与博物学成为“亲缘”学科,博物民族志是将二者合为一体的范式。然而,中西方在博物学学科认知上也存在着巨大差异。唯能利用好中式博物学在传统认知和方法上的天然优势,尤其是中式博物学对有关“生态—生物—生命”所具有的整体性视野,以及格物致知的求知方法,方可解决中国问题,并对当代全人类所面临的问题起到启示与示范作用。因此,如何以反思的原则,利用博物学对当下问题研究的特殊效应,同时对中式博物学进行重新定位,在知识转型的今天显得尤为重要。

There is a need for all academic fields and learning to redefine themselves when the world today is facing challenges brought about by ecological crisis and disappearance of biological and cultural diversity.Chinese“Bowu”studies,either as a subject of learning,or a body of knowledge,or a methodological approach,deserves our special attention.As a relative of anthropology,Chinese“Bowu”studies in modern times have adopted an ethnographic approach in looking at the world.There is,however,a huge difference between the western and Chinese academia in their views about the Chinese Bowu studies.The western“natural history”is misunderstood as the same as Chinese Bowu due to improper translation.In fact,Chinese Bowu studies feature a synthetic view of biology,wildlife,and life as a whole.Its advantages,when best used,may be a best solution not only to problems of China,but also to those of mankind.It is therefore necessary to rethink the position of the Chinese Bowu and its distinctive effects in the process of problem-solving.