现代意识观照下的可比性问题

Comparability Regarded in the Modern Sense

由于比较文学特有的跨学科、跨文化的性质 ,决定了“可比性”是其学理根据的最根本问题 ,也是它本身学科的科学性要求。历来构成可比性“第一原理”的是普遍性或共性 ,它来自两方面 ,即事物固有的属性和人们的思维方式与情感方式。对普遍性或共性的确认 ,及相应的其它环节 ,学者们均做了过细的研究 ,然而也受到了现代思潮的严重冲击。后者从哲学、方法论、文化政治学、文艺学等多种角度 ,批评普遍性或共性的概念是形而上学的理性主义的产物 ,忽略了事物与现象的许多具体而复杂的细节 ,不利于弱势文化的独立生存 ,也不符合文学领域充满了个性鲜明的独创的事实。为应对现代思潮的挑战 ,因而提出“类似性”(affinity)的范畴。Affinity源自拉丁语affinis,原意是指有关系、有联系的属性和化学反应的能力。它不同于以往表示同一性质的概念 ,着重的是不同事物彼此的关系与联系 ,彼此发生感应和作用的特性方面 ,讲究的是动态的合 ,而不是静止的一。它的理论根据主要是维特根斯坦的“游戏原理”和“家族相似性”。由此 ,在比较文学的视野内将以全新的观点看待同和异的问题 ,为跨学科。

The characteristic inter-disciplinal and intercultural nature of comparative literature decides that 'comparability' is the most fundamental factor of its scientific principle, which also comes out of the scientific requirement of the discipline itself. The 'first principle' of comparability has always been universality and generality which derive from two aspects, namely, the inherent attributes of things and man's way of thinking and feeling. Scholars have done excessively detailed research in affirming universality and generality and other links concerned, but they have also suffered fierce attacks from modern trends of thoughts. From such perspectives as philosophy, methodology, cultural politics, and literary theory, the latter criticizes the concept of universality and generality, claiming them to be the result of metaphysical rationalism which overlooks the many concrete and complicated details of things and phenomena. They form a handicap to the independent existence of the weak culture, and contradict the fact of the literary field which is rich in originality and striking individuality. To meet the challenge of modern trends, the denomination 'affinity' is raised. 'Affinity' is derived from the Latin word 'affinis', which originally refers to the interrelated attributes of things, widely used in early chemical documents of Western science to describe the capability of chemical reaction between things. Different from the concepts of old days used to express sameness, affinity emphasizes the interrelations, links, responses, and interactions between different things. It stresses dynamic integration rather than static unification. It finds its theoretical origin mainly in Ludwig Wittgenstein's 'play metaphor' and 'family-similarity.' Affinity adopts a brand-new attitude towards sameness and difference in the scope of comparative literature, and provides fresh ideas and approaches for inter-disciplinal and intercultural studies.