“前亚当论”视域下近代早期欧洲种族主义理论流变

Evolution of Early Modern European Racism from the Perspective of Pre-Adamism

近代早期欧洲种族主义理论以“前亚当论”的提出为先导。“前亚当论”属于批判基督教正统神学的一种“异端”思想,强调亚当并非人类共祖,人类族群有多种起源。古典多源论在近代早期欧洲的复兴,为“前亚当论”再现提供了理论依据。美洲及印第安人被“发现”,为欧洲学者从实证研究角度论证“前亚当论”的合理性提供了素材。在此过程中,“前亚当论”受到一些欧洲学者青睐,建构了与传统单源论叙事有所区别的种族主义理论。这一理论为西方殖民政治辩护,成为现代西方种族歧视的重要根源。

Pre-Adamism was a precursor of the early modern European racism. Assuming that Adam was not the fi rst man and that human history had multiple origins, “pre-Adamism” was regarded as a kind of “heresy” against conventional Christian theology. In early modern Europe, a revival of the classical polygenism provided the theoretical basis for the reappearance of “pre-Adamism”. The “discovery” of the Americas and Indians provided an empirical basis for European scholars demonstrating the rationality of “pre-Adamism”. By doing so, European scholars construct a race theory differing from the traditional monogenism. Finally, pre-Adamism advocated western colonial politics, became a historical root of modern racial discrimination in the Atlantic world.