美国政治中的反智主义:表现、成因与后果

Anti-Intellectualism in American Politics:Manifestations,Origins,and Consequences

本文聚焦美国政治中的反智主义,对反智主义的内涵、表现、成因及其影响进行了梳理和分析。反智主义的内涵包括反理性主义、反精英主义和对待知识的实用工具主义,也被扩展到反专家及专业知识。反智主义既表现为外显的反智观点,也表现为内在的反智心理。政治生活中的反智主义,集中体现为各政治行为者反理性智识、反知识分子和专家的言行。美国政治中反智主义的形成,受到个体心理与认知因素的影响,也植根于美国宗教、政治和社会发展的历史;媒体信息环境变化加剧其传播和培育,两党制、总统制、民粹主义以及对技治主义的恐惧使其成为一种政治策略。反智主义影响了民众和精英的政治行为,挑战了美国的民主制度,体现了知识与政治、技治与民主间的持续张力,为思考日益不平等的现代社会中民主危机和治理变迁提供了独特视角。

Focusing on anti-intellectualism in American politics,this paper surveys the literature and analyzes the conceptualization,manifestations,causes,and consequences of anti-intellectualism.Anti-intellectualism is conceptualized to include anti-rationalism,anti-elitism,and unreflective instrumentalism and is also extended to include anti-expert and anti-professional knowledge.Manifested as both explicit anti-intellectual opinions and internal anti-intellectual beliefs,anti-intellectualism in political life is mostly embodied in the words and deeds of various political actors against rationality,intellect,intellectuals,and experts.While definitely driven by individual predispositions and other cognitive factors,anti-intellectualism in American politics could be traced back to the history of American religious,political,and social development.Changes in the media and information environment have intensified its dissemination and cultivation.More importantly,the two-party and presidential systems,the rise of populism,and public fear of technocracy in the U.S.have made it a feasible political strategy.Anti-intellectualism is changing political behaviors of both the masses and elites and challenging American democracy.Reflecting the deep-seated tensions between knowledge and politics,and technocracy and democracy,anti-intellectualism goes beyond the U.S.and serves as a nu-anced perspective for rethinking the crisis of democracy and the dynamics of governance in an increasingly unequal modern world.