摘要
严复经验主义的政治观的思想贡献在于,他比同时代人更早认识到那种以抽象的理念为社会蓝图与口号、力求整体性地解决社会变革问题的主义,将会导致对现存秩序的人为的摧毁与破坏,并带来事与愿违的历史后果。他还认识到,只有在尊重现存秩序的历史连续性的前提下,渐进地求得新机制在旧机体内的生长,才能实现中国的富强与现代化。早在本世纪初,当他的同时代还对经验论与唯理论之争一无所知的情况下,他就从学理上,把握了唯理主义与经验主义之争的实质,并对唯理主义的社会政治观的僭妄进行了相当具有说服力的批判。正是在这个意义上,严复可以说是中国政治现实主义思想家中的先行者。 然而,严复对唯理主义的政治解决方式的危险性作出“超前”的警告,这在当时不能为中国大多数知识分子所理解,又由于严复的文章风格过于艰深,他的深刻厚实的分析长期以来一直没有受到人们应有的重视。研究与发掘严复在这一方面思想,对于深入研究中国现代政治思潮史中的抽象化的“主义”问题,无疑具有十分重要的意义。
With his political view heavily tinted with empiricism, Van Fu stood out among his con-temporaries. He was among the first to realize that abstract ideas and principles which aim to bring about radical and fundamental change to society would end up destroying the existing or-der without establishing a new one. Only by aptly acknowledging the historical continuity of the existing order and allowing a new mechanism to grow gradually out of the old body could we attain the goal of building a strong and modern China. Early this century, when few people knew the debate between rationalism and empiricism, Yan Fu already grasped the essence of the debate and pronouncedly criticize the unreality of political rationalism. In this sense, Yan Fu can be viewed as a forerunner of Chinese political realism.
出处
《开放时代》
1997年第1期47-55,共9页
Open Times
