艺术哲学,抑或象征美学?--论保罗·德·曼对黑格尔《美学》的解构主义阐释

Philosophy of Art,or Aesthetics of Symbolism?On Paul de Man's Deconstructive Interpretation of Hegel's Aesthetics

沿着德里达的解构思路,德·曼从《精神哲学》符号与象征差异的隐秘语境入手,挖掘出了《美学》的语言学向度,他认为这一向度对黑格尔理念论艺术类型经典建构形成了解构,使《美学》某种程度上被还原为一种传统的象征艺术理论,即“艺术本质上是象征性的”(不仅象征型艺术是象征性的,古典型艺术乃至浪漫型艺术也是象征性的)。面对《美学》辩护者的质疑,德·曼分别从理念论的体系解构和理念论的修辞解构两方面入手捍卫了他的象征主义诊断,并揭示了广义艺术象征理论背后意义与形象不断靠近的语言学逻辑,这一逻辑决定了《美学》诸种艺术类型的象征性嬗变。德·曼的独特阐释不仅在主流的理念论解读之外为《美学》提供了一种偏于形式主义的理解,使得黑格尔《美学》靠拢了自谢林以来的浪漫主义象征美学传统,也成为展示“盲目与洞见”这一贯穿德·曼整个理论生涯的语言修辞学阅读理论的绝佳范例之一。

Following Derrida's deconstructive approach,de Man approaches Hegel's Aesthetics from the perspective of distinction between sign and symbol in the Philosophy of Spirit and opens up the linguistic dimension of the Aesthetics.De Man believes that this dimension deconstructs Hegel's classic construction of forms of art,and makes the Aesthetics return to a traditional art theory of symbolism,i.e.“art is essentially symbolic(for both the symbolic form of art and classical and romantic forms of art)”.Facing the challenges from defenders of the Aesthetics,de Man defends his claim of symbolism from two perspectives:the deconstruction of the system of idealism and the deconstruction of the rhetoric of idealism.Hence,he can reveal the linguistic logic by which the meaning and image behind the general symbolic theory of art are getting increasingly closer.This logic determines the symbolic transmutation of art forms in the Aesthetics.De Man's unique interpretation not only provides a formalistic understanding of the Aesthetics that is different from the mainstream interpretation of idealism,but also brings Hegel's Aesthetics close to the romantic tradition of aesthetics of symbolism since Schelling.His approach has also become an excellent example of“blindness and insight,”which underlies his rhetorical reading theory and his later linguistic engagement.