The Limits of ＂Philosophy＂ and ＂Religion＂ in a Cross-Cultural Context

從跨文化脈絡探討哲學與宗教的分際

方嵐生(Franklin Perkins)

《宗教哲學》 60期 (2012/06) Pp. 53-66

https://doi.org/10.6309/JORP.201206_(60).0006

摘要

眾所周知，宗教與哲學這兩個名詞是從西方（經由日本）傳到中國，引進中文裏。這兩個名詞在歐洲歷史上，宗教源自羅馬文religio，哲學源自希臘文philosophia。當它們廣泛地被全球應用的同時，已自然地改變且擴大其本身的原始定義。「宗教」與「哲學」的概念以及它們之間的區別皆反映出歐洲歷史的特質，不過，這兩個名詞不能理所當然地被視為跨文化的一般概念。本篇論文將探討「宗教」與「哲學」間的差異在引發跨文化討論問題上的複雜方法，本篇論文也將探討關於文化和諧的研究。在提出這種差異及其始源的一些不同議題上，本篇論文將著力於「宗教」已成為跨文化的應用方法（在近代歐洲歷史），而「哲學」卻尚未如此。換句話說，「世界宗教」的存在被視為理所當然，宗教研究系所也將多元文化納入傳統視域。對比之下，否定非歐洲「哲學」的存在也相當普遍（至少在歐洲和北美）。很少有哲學系所容納任何起源於歐洲或北美以外的事物。這種分歧似乎很弔詭，因為「哲學」和開放式的參與、討論、提問等思想息息相關，而「宗教」似乎專注於內舉與排外的信仰。本篇論文將探討這種弔詭，也將論述：這種弔詭反映出「哲學」與「宗教」之間固有的差異，這種差異並非由傳統的中國人的思想所造成。本篇論文的結論是：中國人的思維方式或許可以為跨文化的對話與和諧提供一個更好的基礎。

關鍵字

哲學 ； 宗教 ； 比較哲學 ； 多元論

並列摘要

It is well known that the terms ”religion” and ”philosophy,” 宗教 and 哲學, were introduced into Chinese from the West (by way of Japan). While their global application naturally has shifted and broadened the meaning of the terms themselves, the concepts of ”religion” and ”philosophy” - and the division between them - reflect the particularities of European history, and the two terms cannot be taken for granted as cross-cultural universals. This paper will examine the complex ways in which the distinction between ”religion” and ”philosophy” problematizes cross-cultural discussions and the search for harmony between cultures. While raising several different issues around this distinction and its origins, the paper will focus on the way in which (in modern European history) ”religion” has taken on a cross cultural application while ”philosophy” has not. In other words, the existence of ”world religions” is taken for granted and any Department of Religious Studies will include multiple cultural traditions. In contrast, it is quite common (at least in Europe and North America) to deny the existence of non-European ”philosophy,” and it is rare for philosophy departments to include anything originating from outside of Europe or North America. This divide seems paradoxical, since ”philosophy” is bound up with the idea of open engagement, discussion, and questioning, while ”religion” seems to rest on faith and clear lines of inclusion and exclusion. This paper will examine this paradox and argue that it reflects problems inherent in the distinction between philosophy and religion, a distinction which was not made in classical Chinese thought. The paper will conclude by considering how a Chinese perspective might set a better foundation for cross-cultural dialogue and harmony.

並列關鍵字

philosophy ； religion ； comparative philosophy ； pluralism