历史与实验:发生学方法与胡适“文学革命”的方法论

History and Experimentation: The Genetic Method and the Methodology of Hu Shi’s “Literary Revolution”

胡适的“文学革命”主张与实践,包含着自觉的方法论意识,体现了“历史的方法”与“实验的方法”的有机结合。胡适在哥伦比亚大学求学时期,接受了杜威的实验主义思想,开始用发生学方法来理解“历史的方法”,而发生学方法又与“实验的方法”相贯通,这就为胡适将文学革命中“历史”与“实验”两个面向整合起来提供了方法论的基础。通过发生学的方法的运用,文学革命就成为对历史上白话文学的自然趋势之有意识的控制、引导与实验。发生学方法不只是在方法论的层面上,贯通了文学革命的“历史/过去”与“实验/未来”这两个面向,从而保证了胡适文学革命主张逻辑上的自洽性和实践上的可操作性;同时也让胡适得以在传统中发现和体认现代性的因素,为其“中国的文艺复兴”事业提供精神动力。

Hu Shi's(胡适)arguments for“Literary Revolution”a and its practice imply a self-consciousness of methodology,representing an organic combination of the“historical method”and the“experimental method.”During his study at Columbia University,Hu Shi accepted John Dewey's(杜威)experimentalism and came to regard the“historical method”as a genetic method.In accordance with the“experimental method”,the genetic method provided a methodological foundation for Hu Shi to integrate both the historical aspect and the experimental aspect in the Literary Revolution.Through the application of the genetic method,Literary Revolution became conscious control,guidance,and experimentation on the natural trend of vernacular literature in the history.The genetic method methodologically connected both the“historical/past”aspect and the“experimental/future”aspect of the Literary Revolution,thus guaranteeing the logical self-consistency and the practical operability of Hu Shi's arguments for“Literary Revolution”.Furthermore,it also enabled Hu Shi to discern and apprehend modern elements in Chinese tradition,fueling spiritually his cause of“Chinese Renaissance.”