“后理论时代”西方文论的有效性和出路

The Validity of and Way Out for Western Literary Theory in the "Post-Theoretical Era"

文学理论,或日文化理论,既然是一种人文学术话语的建构,就必然有一定的相对性,也即它在用于此时此地的文学现象的阐释时也许是有效的,而用于另一文化语境中的文学现象就有可能发生某种形式的变异,其有效性会大打折扣甚至失却。文学理论在西方之所以衰落,一个重要原因就在于,一些掌握理论话语的人把理论的重要性看得过高,认为理论可以君临一切。实际上,来自文学和文化实践的理论充其量只应该在解释文学现象时才有效。精神分析学、生态批评以及文化研究在中国的接受及其成败得失可以证明,任何来自西方的文学或文化理论,用于文学阐释都有其相对的有效性,如果要使其在一切语境下都有效,那就应该语境化。"后理论时代"西方文论的出路就在于它应该拥抱西方以外的文学理论,在这方面,中国的文学理论应该有所作为。

Literary theory,and cultural theory in general,as a construction of the discourse of humanities,is inevitably relative.This means that,although it is valid to interpret the literary phenomenon under certain circumstances,it may be invalid,alienated,greatly discounted or even invalid at all under other.The most important reason,among others,for the decline of literary theory in the West is that people who hold the power of the theoretical discourse overestimate the importance of theory to believe that theory is supreme over other things.In fact,literary theories based on literary and cultural practice is valid only at best when they are used to interpret literary phenomena.The degree of acceptance and validity of such theories as psychoanalysis,eco-criticism and cultural study in China prove that,any Western literary or cultural theory is relative in terms of theoretical validity;to make it valid in all contexts,it should be first made adaptable to the contexts.The only way out for Western literary theories in the 'post-theoretical era' lies in their embracing non-Western literary theories,and Chinese literary theories should make a difference in this respect.