科幻小說與青少年之知性啟蒙

Science Fiction and the Intellectual Enlightenment for the Young Adult

杜明城(Ming-Cherng Duh)

《臺北市立圖書館館訊》 28卷1期 (2010/09) Pp. 29-40

https://doi.org/10.29773/BTPL.201009.0003

摘要

科幻小說是通俗文學的一環，在西方國家獨樹一幟，擁有廣大的讀者，而在我們社會卻不盛行。本文指出科幻小說具有可能性的想像、奇異、認知奇想化、以及他異性等特點，對於青少年的知性啟蒙，包括科學想像與哲學思維，具有極高的價值。作者藉由陳述科幻小說的簡史，若干作品的比較，釐清該文類與其他文學類型的差異，並提出科幻文學經常出現的主題，歸納出小說家創作的路線主軸。作者點出科幻小說作為科學與哲學的中介，提供兩者對話的橋樑。最後再以雪萊、史蒂文森、歐威爾、高汀、阿西莫夫和克萊頓的作品，分別探討作家如何藉由科學上的可能想像，同時在思索若干倫理學、政治學、理則學和本體論等基本哲學議題。科幻小說融合了文學與科學，可以在潛移默化中，促進青少年讀者的知性啟蒙。

關鍵字

知性啟蒙 ； 通俗文學 ； 科幻小說

並列摘要

Science fiction is a division of popular literature which is very popular in the Western world, but it doesn't earn that much reception in our society. The present article argues that the elements inherent in science fiction such as awareness of possibility, novum, cognitive estrangement, and alterity are conducive for the intellectual enlightenment for the young adults. By briefing a history of the genre, contrasting science fiction and non-science fiction, the author tried to reveal how it can be so significant to provoke scientific imagination and philosophical contemplation for the reader. The author also indicated that as a medium between philosophy and science, science fiction can serve as a bridge for their constant dialogue. Lastly, some major writers' works, including those of Shelly, Stevenson, Orwell, Asimov and Crichton, were exemplified to reveal how philosophical issues in ethics, politics, logic as well as ontology were properly proposed by SF writers. In conclusion, science fiction can serve best for the intellectual growth on the young in unconscious way because it conglomerates literary interest into scientific and philosophical discourses.

並列關鍵字

intellectual enlightenment ； popular literature ； science fiction

參考文獻

Docherty, Thomas(1996).Alterities: Criticism, History, Representation.Oxford, UK:Oxford University Press.

Gunn, James(ed.),Barr, Marleen(ed.),Candelaria, Matthew(ed.)(2009).Reading Science Fiction.London:Palgrave.

Heidegger, Martin(1993).Basic Writings.London:Routledge.

McCracken, Scott(1998).Pulp: Reading Popular Fiction.Manchester:Manchester University Press.

Roberts, Adam(2000).Science Fiction.London:Routledge.