文化比较的思想误区——兼评安乐哲“儒家角色伦理”

［美］Ben K.Hammer （孟巍隆）

摘要：东西方之间的文化比较乃是一百年来的学术焦点，迄今仍有热烈讨论。文化比较有着多种多样的具体模式，但大体都具备一个共同特点：文化比较者均将东、西方对立起来加以比较，将二者分别推向两个相反的文化极端，构成人为的而非自然的对峙状态，在这个对峙的基础上进而给予定义、分析与价值判断。这种人为的对立状态造成了文化比较研究中的思想误区。从历史角度对此现象进行考察，可以发现“两极化”的错误思想贯穿了百年来的文化比较工作。由于“两极化”的文化比较研究属于人为的思想框架，并不代表各个文化之间的现实情况，所以此种思想模式造成很大的误导，不利于实事求是的科学观察与比较研究。两极化思维是人类普遍的心理学现象，文化比较中的两极化思维，有其认识论根源。近年来流行于世的“儒家角色伦理”这一学说，充分地体现了此种思想误区。

关键词：东西方文化比较；两极化思维；儒家思想；“角色伦理”；安乐哲

The Error in Cultural Comparisons: a Look into Roger Ame’s “Confucian Role Ethics”            Ben K. Hammer

Cultural comparisons have many different methods, but there is a commonality, a common error, prevalent in most models today. Cultural comparisons have an overwhelming tendency to set the East and the West in opposition to each other, and with this as their starting point, create an artificial juxtaposition. The definitions, analyses, and final judgments of cultural comparisons that stem from such a tendency inevitably paint the East and West as polar opposites. Such comparisons do not reflect the reality of either culture and are unfair to both. When looking at this issue historically we find that the erroneous attraction to polarize cultures has existed in academic circles for at least the last century. Looking into the matter even more deeply, psychological research reveals that polarizing “us” and “others” is in fact a natural disposition to humans, making this problem not just one of academic bias, but of epistemology itself. It is the author's hope that a thorough analysis of this phenomenon will reveal the problems with much work being done in cultural comparison today, with the further hope that they may be recognized and minimized, creating an opportunity for more accurate portrayals of different cultures and their defining characteristics. In particular, we will be using the popular theory of “Confucian Role Ethics” as a case study and typical example of “polarizing” cultural comparison.