什么是存在?——再论《兰亭序》的经典化

What is Cunzai?:A Reconsideration of the Canonization of the Preface to the Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion

本文通过对书法名帖《兰亭序》经典化历程的分析,探讨“存在”一词的使用方式及其所运用的意义,从一种独特的艺术史现象中提取出一个有广泛意义的哲学论题。作者从“存在”的常规用法中区分出三种具体的存在类型(物理、意识与信息),并以之为概念框架,分诞生、隐没、重现、经典和遗产诸环节,描述《兰亭序》经典化过程所经历的存在变化,努力刻画事物的各种存在特征,较普遍者如物品与事件,存在与存在感,事件、运动与传统,存在与身份,以及次一级的如文与字、笔迹与人格、原作与衍生品等等。论文致力于呈现《兰亭序》存在状态的丰富性与复杂性,并揭示考察具体存在(动词)对理解抽象存在(名词)的重要性,从而打开面对形而上学的另一扇思想窗口。

By exploring the usage of"cunzai"(existence)and its diverse meanings through an analysis of the canonization of the famous calligraphy work,the Preface to the Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion,this article attempts to extract a philosophical theme of general significance from a particular phenomenon in art history.The author will distinguish three types of existence(physical,mental,and informational)within the conventional use of"existence",taking it as a conceptual framework to describe changes of existence occurring in the canonization process of that text.Such a process can be divided into five stages:birth,oblivion,rediscovery,canonization and legacy.With the help of this division,diversified dimensions of existence will be examined,including not only more general ones,such as"object and event","existence and the sense of existence"(presence),"event""movement and tradition",as well as"existence and identity",but also secondary dimensions,such as"work and text","calligraphy and personality","the original piece and its derivatives",etc.By presenting the richness and complexity within the term"cunzai"in the"Preface",this article will demonstrate the significance of examining specific states of"existing"(verb)to understanding the abstract meaning of"existence""(noun),and thereby open another possibility for thinking about metaphysics.