泰戈尔科学观及其跨文明对话

Tagore's View on Science and His Cross-Civilization Dialogue

从科学态度的角度看,泰戈尔由崇尚科学转向反科学、访华期间发表反科学言论有两个触发因素。一是将科学与西方物质文明相联系,在西方物质文明与东方精神文明二分的基础上提倡后者反对前者,其文明划分和视科学为西学都有偏颇。二是将科学技术与自然相对,并基于自然情怀对现代科技文明破坏自然的现象感到忧虑,是具有超前性的洞见,但却开错了药方。从科学认知的角度看,泰戈尔从与艺术相对的角度认识科学,从而把握科学与艺术的不同本质和特点,具有合理性。泰戈尔的科学观本身具有很强的对话性。他与爱因斯坦进行的关于科学、宗教与真理的对话,是东方与西方、艺术与科学的深度交流与碰撞。他以梵我同一宗教哲学为基础的科学观有唯心主义和神秘主义倾向,不为爱因斯坦所认同,却对海森堡有所启发,给量子力学为代表的新的科学研究带来了东方智慧。泰戈尔科学观与胡塞尔、鲁迅等同时代东西方思想家的科学观具有可比性,其相通和相异都是跨文明对话的思想资源。

From the perspective of scientific attitude,there were two triggering factors for Tagore's shift from advocating science to being anti-science and making anti-scientific remarks during his visit to China.The first factor was the association of science with Western material civilization,which promoted the latter in contrast to Eastern spiritual civilization.This perspective was rooted in a biased view of civilization divisions,leading to the perception of science as exclusively a Western pursuit.The second factor was the opposition of science and technology to nature,driven by concerns about the destruction of the environment caused by modern technological civilization.While this perspective reflected a forward-looking insight,it proposed an ineffective remedy.From the perspective of scientific cognition,Tagore understood science from the perspective opposite to art,thus grasping the different essence and characteristics of science and art,which is rational.His view on science embodies a strong sense of dialogue.His dialogue with Einstein on science,religion,and truth was a profound exchange and collision between East and West and between art and science.Based on the religious philosophy of unity of the self and the ultimate reality,his view on science had idealist and mystical tendencies,which,though not recognized by Einstein,inspired Heisenberg,bringing Eastern wisdom to new scientific research represented by quantum mechanics.His view is comparable to that of contemporary thinkers in the East and the West such as Husserl and Lu Xun.Both the similarities and differences are valuable intellectual resources for cross-civilization dialogue.