误读与歧见之间——评黄克武对史华兹严复研究的质疑

Between Misinterpretation and Prejudice

已故哈佛大学中国思想史家本·史华兹教授于1964年发表《寻求富强:严复与西方》一书,一直被认为是这一领域的经典之作。1998年黄克武先生就其中主要论点(包括有关寻求国家富强与理解个人自由之关系,中西文化交遇,严复的定位等论点)提出质疑。本文认为黄氏质疑实为歧见与误读的纠结,并就本文认为误读之处力求作出较详细分疏。本文旨在说明,学术争论乃艰苦功夫,误读难免,对史氏尤然,吾人只能谨慎从事。

The late professor Benjamin I. Schwartz (1916-1999) published his In Search of Wealth and Power: Yen Fu and the West in 1964. Since then the book has been acclaimed as a classic in this field. In 1998 Taiwan researcher Huang Kewu challenges are a curious mixture of misreading and divergence of views. It intends to provide a detailed analysis of what its author believes to be misreading of Schwart'z thinking. Meanwhile, it which misreading is almost a certainty. All we can do is proceed with as much sensibility and care as we can.