知识观重建与国际关系理论的发展进路——以三大理论批判为例的分析

The Reconstruction of the View of Knowledge and the Development Path of IR Theories:A Critique of the Three Mainstream Theories

以牛顿思想为代表的经典科学观与以量子力学为代表的量子科学观的一个根本分歧是经典科学观坚持确定性是世界的本质属性,量子科学观则认为不确定性是世界的本原状态。多年来,经典科学观已成为自然科学和社会科学的背景知识,塑造了知识生产的主导模式。而以新现实主义、新自由制度主义和建构主义为代表的主流国际关系理论遵循经典科学观,以发现国际关系的决定性因果律为目的,形成了具有主导地位的话语。但如果不确定性是世界的内禀属性,三大理论的前提假定及其背后的科学文化观就会受到颠覆性质疑,国际关系学业已形成的基本概念,如国家、国际社会、权力等则将面临重塑,构建非决定性理论将成为新的知识生产取向。虽然量子科学观对国际关系理论的影响刚刚开始,但这可能预示着国际关系研究范式革命的真正到来。

A fundamental difference between the classic scientific view epitomized by Isaac Newton and the quantum scientific view represented by quantum mechanics is whether our world is one of certainty.The former believes that it is essentially certain,while the latter argues that uncertainty is the real state of nature.Over years,the Newtonian scientific view has become the background knowledge,predominating in both natural and social sciences and shaping the mode of knowledge production.In International Relations(IR),the so-called three mainstream theories,neo-realism,neo-liberal institutionalism and social constructivism,have followed the classic view,believing in the certainty principle and aiming at finding the deterministic causality“out there.”They have in fact gained a hegemonic status in the IR academic discourse.However,if uncertainty is the real attribute of our world,then the premises of the three IR theories,as well as the classic view behind them,will be fundamentally challenged,and the key IR concepts,such as the state,international society and power,radically remade.Moreover,the construction of non-deterministic IR theories will be a new orientation of knowledge production.Although the influence of the quantum theory has just been beginning to show in IR theories,it may well be a forerunner of a paradigmatic revolution in the field.