两种现代性理论

Two Theories of Modernity

理解现代性的兴起有两种理论类型:文化的与非文化的。文化的现代性理论将西方现代性的兴起界定为一种新文化的创生,从而推导出文化多元性和多样现代性的结论。非文化的现代性理论,以理性化学说为代表,认定由西方历史经验得出的现代性模式是一种普遍且具有必然性的客观真理,这种现代性理论导致了种族中心主义的谬误。非文化的现代性理论的解释局限可以公共领域的兴起为例来做考察。没有相应具身理解、社会想象等背景性的框架,公共领域的兴起就将难以理解,而这些在非文化的现代性理论中都被遮蔽了。一种文化的现代性理论借助对西方现代社会想象和具身理解的重新阐明,将证明西方现代性的历史特殊性。

There are two kinds of theories to understand the rise of modernity:cultural and acultural. A cultural theory of modernity characterizes the transformations that have issued in the modern West mainly in terms of the rise of a new culture. An acutural theory,such as the rationalization accouts,conceives the modes of modernity deriving from the western historical experiences to be some sorts of universal and inevitable truths. Acutural theories lead to the ethnocentric fallacy. The limits of acultural theories can be demonstrated by an survey concerning the rise of modern public sphere,which is hard to account for without some frameworks of embodies understanding and social imaginary. A cultural theory of modernity could prove the particularity of western modernity by rearticulating the social imaginary and embodied understanding of the modern west.