巫与哲学

在深受西方现代性话语影响、现代性话语占主导地位的今日中国,人们往往认为哲学的产生是一个从神话、宗教走向理性的过程,即从mythos到logos的过程,哲学是在克服了前两者的基础上产生的。但近年来这一观点却受到对现代性持批评态度的思想家的一致反对,他们不再将神话、宗教与哲学看作势不两立,而是认为它们之间存在着一定的承继关系。中国上古思想史的最大秘密,是巫的特质在中国大传统中以理性化的形式坚固保存、延续下来,形成了中国思想的根本特色,成为了解中国思想和文化的钥匙所在。中国哲学的产生是一个巫逐渐理性化的过程。然而,这种观点终究不脱现代性思维的路子。无论是理性化概念,还是从mythos到logos的解释模式,本来都是西方历史的特殊产物,要解释的也是西方的特殊历史,是否可以作为普遍真理拿来就用,不无疑问。其次,它们近年来在西方都已经受到广泛的质疑,我们也应该有必要的反省。中国古代并没有人将巫理解为蒙昧和迷信。相反,古人认为巫是社会生活和国家政治中不可或缺的重要角色。现代中国人对巫和巫术的看法和评价,来自西方人。巫其实是一种特殊的、始终一致的、感性的对实在的知觉,是一种世界观,与近代科学的世界观完全不同,但却是以这样或那样的形式为全人类所共有。人类历史和中国历史都表明,巫术与哲学、非理性和理性,并非人类思维发展前后相继的两个不同阶段,而是两种不同的思维模式。它们之间的关系有时未必是彼此排斥的,而是相互支持与促进的。宗教与哲学之间并不存在断裂,哲学理性思维背后是宗教的陈述,并且哲学从宗教那里承继了许多伟大的概念。认为哲学是纯粹理性的产物,本身就是启蒙思想家虚构的一个神话。
Abstract：For many people, philosophy is the result of the course from mythos to logos and overcoming of the myth and religion. However, some people have changed this idea. They no longer think that philosophy and myth or religion as extremely antagonistic, but there is a successive relation between them. The emergence of the Chinese philosophy is a course of gradual rationalization of magic. But this thought does not wholly break away from the influence of modernity. Human history shows that magic and philosophy, or irrationality and rationality, are not two successive stages but two different modes of thinking. Today’s negative impression of magic came from the West. In traditional China the magic was not viewed as superstition or darkness. Instead, magic was regarded as essential part of social and political life. Magic is a special, constant, sensitive perception of reality, a kind of world outlook different from that of the modern science yet shared by human beings in certain form. Their relation is sometimes not mutually exclusive; they can even support or promote each other. There is no gap between religion and philosophy; religious narration belays philosophical ration, and philosophy inherits many great concepts from religion. It is itself a myth made up by the Enlightenment thinkers that philosophy is product of pure reason.