在“民”与“族”之间——章太炎民族思想再阐释

Between"Min"and"Zu":Reinterpretation of Zhang Taiyan's Thought on"Minzu"

在晚清革命的背景下,章太炎从传统国学出发,基于三个方面对既有民族概念进行反思:第一,借由两种理解“民”的方式,章太炎厘清了“民族”之“民”的具体意涵及其内在张力;第二,借由对“族”的分析,章太炎扬弃了以“文明西来说”为代表的种族话语,进而致力于用历史及其内在的本真性来确证、建构民族之“族”;第三,章太炎并不将民族视为永恒的标尺,而是指出其局限及终将归于消亡的趋势,故而侧重于从工具性价值角度阐发其民族思想。

In the context of the late Qing revolution,Zhang Taiyan drew from traditional Chinese culture to critique the prevailing concept of"minzu"across three dimensions:Firstly,by exploring two interpretations of"minzu,"Zhang Taiyan clarified the specific meaning of"min"(people)within"minzu"and its internal tensions.Secondly,through an analysis of"zu"(race),Zhang Taiyan rejected racial theories,such as the hypothesis of a"Western origin of early Chinese civilization,"advocating instead for a historically grounded construction of"zu"within"minzu."Thirdly,Zhang Taiyan challenged the notion of"minzu"as an enduring entity,highlighting its limitations and predicting its eventual obsolescence,thus focusing on an instrumental evaluation of his"minzu"theory.