胡適科學方法觀論析

On Hu Shih's View of Scientific Method

楊貞德(Chen-Te Yang)

《中國文哲研究集刊》 5期 (1994/09) Pp. 129-154

https://doi.org/10.6351/BICLP.199409.0129

摘要

胡適一生提倡科學，且多次表示其看法與立場皆根源於杜威（John Dewey）的實驗主義。本文因以胡適和杜威的思想相對照，列舉他們在解釋科學方法上的異同，並據以說明主導胡適思想的一種思考模式（mode of thinking）所具有的特性及其歷史意義。杜威與胡適都認為科學能在人類生活中的各個層面扮演關鍵性的角色、都主張科學的精隨在於科學方法（即實驗室中的方法）、也都以為科學方法就是一種習慣。然而，胡適的科學方法觀除了採用杜威實驗主義的一些語言與概念之外，同時也受到他在接觸實驗主義以前，由朱熹理學傳統中所習得「修身」這一觀念所蘊涵的思考模式的影響。是而，在更深入解說科學方法的內容時，相對於杜威之重視科學的邏輯意義，且著力於分析科學家作實驗的客觀條件和環境，胡適著眼於科學家自身所具備的認識與態度在實驗室裏的功能，而特別強調以「大膽的假設，小心的求證」為表徵的科學精神。胡適側重個人主觀因素與自我要求的取向，不但見於他的科學方法觀，也見於他思想中的其他層面。因此，我們藉由探討胡適科學方法觀的特色，既能夠具體地說明胡適與朱熹理學的聯繫，且對於進一步瞭解其思想的全貌大有助益。

並列摘要

As an advocate of science for all his life, Hu Shih on various occasions attributed his positions to John Dewey's pragmatism. Hu's claims notwithstanding, this essay explores the way in which Hu differed from Dewey in explicating scientific method. The differences between these two thinkers could, then, help elucidate the nature of a dominant mode of thinking inherent in Hu's thought. Both Dewey and Hu Shih believed that scientific method, being the essence of science, was applicable to all kinds of problem. They also both interpreted scientific method in terms of a habit, or the so-called five steps of inquiry. When Hu further explained what these five steps stood for, however, he did not always follow Dewey. Apart from adopting some of Dewey's ideas and vocabularies, Hu retained a particular mode of thinking embodied in Chu Hsi's idea of self-cultivation (hsiu-shen). In short, whereas Dewey explicated scientific method by examining objective conditions of scientific inquiry, Hu identified scientific method with scientists's personal propensities, in particular ”a boldness in suggesting hypothesis coupled with a solicitous regard for verification.”Furthermore, one finds this mode of thinking not only in Hu's view of scientific method but also in his other concerns, such as his approaches to the study of history, valuation as well as political and social inquiries. As a result, other than concretely delineating Hu's relationship with Chu Hsi's ideas, which Hu studied in his childhood, this essay may also serve as a basis for later study on Hu's ideas and the role he played in modern China.