古埃及文明消亡的现代反思

Modern Reflections on the Demise of the Ancient Egyptian Civilization

古埃及文明曾在人类历史上大放异彩,但在公元七世纪中期以后就消失在历史长河中。这本是历史事实,但由于学界对文明、文化、文明起源与消亡等问题的判断标准不一,学者们提出了有关古埃及文明消亡的不同见解。史学研究应坚持理论标准的前后统一。统一国家、文字体系、文化认同是古埃及文明形成的标准,也是古埃及三千多年文明史上的重要因素。三者的消失意味着古埃及文明的终结。生产力停滞不前及其导致的综合国力式微,长达千年之久的外族统治,古埃及文字、信仰及实践缺乏社会基础,共同促使古埃及文明走向消亡。

Ancient Egypt was an extraordinary civilization that made great contributions to human development in history. Yet,it became a lost civilization after the seventh century. Scholars hold competing opinions on the demise of the ancient Egyptian civilization due to their divergent views on what conceptualizes a culture or a civilization,and how to define its beginning or its end. To overcome the confusion,one should look for uniform theoretical standards,and this is the baseline for historical research. Three criteria,including the unification of the state,the invention of the writing system,and the formation of cultural identity,together define the emergence of the ancient Egyptian civilization,which lasted for more than three thousand years.Accordingly,the disappearance of these three traits signified the demise of the ancient civilization. As for its fall,it was the result of multiple reasons at work,including the decline of total national strength due to stagnation of productivity,the alien domination of almost one thousand years,the lack of social cohesion to the writing,belief systems and their practices.