欧洲的中国观:一个历史的巡礼与反思

18世纪上半叶不仅是欧洲文化的转折期,同样是其中国观的分水岭。之前欧洲人在神权思维支配下而进行的描绘中西共通性的努力,逐渐转变为基于近代资本主义文明的对中西文化差异性及对立性的认识。不论是以黑格尔、韦伯等人为代表的“欧洲中心论”,还是以弗兰克、彭慕兰等人为代表的“中国中心取向”,欧洲人认识中国的基本立场其实从未脱离欧洲本位。他们对中国和中国文化的评价在不断的自我认识和评价的过程中随时发生着变化,也同样取决于他们对这种异质文化有着怎样的需求。而究竟如何才能够实现文化间令人满意的交流和汇通,仍然是一个需要人们苦苦思索和努力实践的问题。

The European Perspective on China: A Historical Retrospection

The first half of the 18 th century is not only the turning point of the European culture, but also the dividing line of its view on China. The cognition of the difference and antagonism between China and the West based on modern capitalism gradually took place of the effort of portraying the universality of them under the religious authority. In fact, both the Eurocentric approach with the personage of Hegel and Weber, and the China-centered approach representative of Frank and Pomeranz jointly indicate that the basic stand of the European view on China never disengage from the standard of their own. Their evaluation of China and the Chinese culture constantly changes with their different self-cognition and self-evaluation, and depends on their different demand on this alien culture. And how to realize the satisfying communication between different cultures is still a question requiring strenuous consideration and hard practice.