走向生态文明:升级抑或超越——兼评后现代生态文明论

Toward Ecological Civilization:Upgrade or Surpass--A Comment on the Postmodern Theory of Ecological Civilization

小约翰·柯布等人提出的后现代生态文明论在中国学术界有较大影响。后现代生态文明论以怀特海的过程哲学为哲学理据,以量子物理学为科学依据,它反对经济主义和消费主义。后现代生态文明论对工业文明的批判是深刻的、全面的,但难免有其失当之处。有批评者把后现代生态文明论划归“退守论”。本文认为,后现代生态文明论仍属“超越论”,而“升级论”则亦可被称之为“修补论”。超越论与修补论之间的根本分歧是关于现代性的分歧,也是关于理性进步信念的分歧。现代性的理性信念奠基于牛顿物理学,而量子物理学和复杂性科学正在凸显一种承认不确定性的新理性。超越论与修补论之间的分歧是深刻的。深刻的分歧和真诚的辩论或可促进双方的视野融合。

The postmodern theory of ecological civilization proposed by John Cobb Jr. has a great influence in Chinese academic circles. Based on Whitehead’s process philosophy and quantum physics, the postmodern theory of ecological civilization is opposed to economism and consumerism. It criticizes the industrial civilization profoundly and comprehensively, but there are inevitably some inadequacies in it.Some critics classify it as “a retreat theory”. This paper argues that it is still a “transcendence theory”,while the so called “upgrading theory” can also be called “ tinkering theory”. The fundamental disagreement between the transcendence theory and the tinkering theory concerns modernity, as well as the belief in the progress of reason. The modern conception of reason is based on Newtonian physics, while quantum physics and complexity science are highlighting a new conception of reason that recognizes uncertainty. The disagreement between the transcendence theory and the tinkering theory is profound. But the honest debate between these deep disagreements may promote convergence of visions.