- 期刊
文化變遷之基本動力—以認知科學為探索導向
The Basic Driving Force of Cultural Change-Cognitive Science Oriented Exploration
摘要
文化變遷就是人類用來依循的這一套價值系統發生了改變，所產生的異化（alienation）作用，而從整個文化變遷的動力結構來說，它的力量來自兩方面：一是「社會力」，它是社會既有的文化價值系統，對於每一個社會成員型塑其「認知基模」時的外塑力量。二是「認知力」，它是社會成員對於既有的文化價值系統的認知、內化、適應與調適時的內塑力量。若從動力的起源來說，「社會力」是因社會成員而有的，如果沒有社會成員，「社會力」本身是沒有動力的，它是伴隨著「認知力」的作用而產生的，所以「社會力」是被動的力量。而「認知力」雖然被強大的「社會力」所牽引，但它具有主動的自我認知、調適的力量。這種個體的認知，因為調適而形成了集體共同的文化認知模式，這就是「社會力」。然而「社會力」並沒有真正的生命力，它的生命力其實是來自於真正有生命力的個體的組合。所以「社會力」是集體所型塑的被動力，「認知力」才是具有真正生命力的主動力量。本文以認知科學（Cognitive Science）為主要線索，藉以直探文化變遷基本動力以及動力本身的來源，是因為認知科學具有多層次的性格。它透過「科際整合」打破了生物學、物理科學、神經科學、心理學、人類學等種種藩籬；而且它的研究對象是心智現象，而心智現象原是物質科學界所忽略的，卻是所有人文、藝術與社會科學所關心的主要對象，這種整合性的思維與研究是過去所沒有的。本文也將從認知科學的探索導向中，觀察社會學及心理學於文化變遷上之論述與認知科學互涉之處，從而探索文化變遷的基本動力—心智作用，以及心智基模的三個層次—意識、潛意識、心智本體。可是，認知科學對於心智本體的探討是屬於「心物合一論」，這將使認知科學的研究方向實質上落入「唯物論」的窘境。所以，本文也將以佛教之觀點提出第八識為心智作用之源，以補其理論之不足。第八識非心非物卻又能出生心物以及一切心智作用，而且它是每一個人都有可能親自證驗的，它才是心智基模的本體。本文認為佛教所提出之第八識是「實證的本體論」，它亟符合科學的實證精神，希望此舉能為認知科學提供研究與重新思考的線索，相信以認知科學「科際整合」的精神，必能接受一切有益於研究之建議。本文限於主題及篇幅，對於第八識之「實證的本體論」僅能藉實證佛法的粗略概念，提供給認知科學另外一個思考方向，對此若欲詳述論之，則須於未來另闢專文探討之。
並列摘要
Cultural change refers to the alienation produced when the value system followed by human beings has changed. From the structure of driving force involved in cultural change, its force comes from two aspects: 1. Social force, which is a cultural value system already existing in a society, the external shaping force that molds the ”cognitive schema” of each society member, 2. Cognitive force, which is the internal shaping force operating during a society member’s cognition, internalization, adaptation and adjustment to the existing system of cultural value. From the perspective of the origin of driving force, ”social force” comes from society members;without society members, ”social force” itself would have no driving force; it comes with the function of ”cognitive force”; therefore, ”social force” is passive. Although strongly affected by ”social force,” ”cognitive force” has active self-cognition and the power of adjustment. Because of adjustment, this individual cognition forms the model of collective cultural cognition, which is the ”social force.” However, ”social force” has no real vitality. Its vitality actually comes from the combination of individuals, who have real vitality. Therefore, ”social force” is the passive force that is shaped collectively by the group, while ”cognitive force” is the active force that has real vitality.Because of its character of multiple levels, in this article,cognitive science is used as a main clue to explore the basic driving force of cultural change and the origin of driving force. Through the ”Inter-Disciplinary”, cognitive science breaks through the various barriers among biology, physics, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, etc. In addition, the research subject of cognitive science is about mental phenomena. All humanities, arts and social science are concerned with mental phenomena, which are neglected by the field of material science. This way of thinking and research in cognitive science that integrates many fields of study has never been applied in the past. From the cognitive science oriented exploration, this article examines the discussions on cultural change by sociology and psychology as well as their mutual involvement with cognitive science. Then, the author explores the basic driving force of cultural change, namely mental functions and the three levels of mental schema, which include the consciousness, the unconscious and the original entity of mind.However, an exploration into the original entity of mind via cognitive science belongs to ”Ideo-Materialism,” and it will make the research direction of cognitive science fall into a predicament of ”materialism” substantially. Therefore, this article proposes the Buddhist view that the eighth vijnana is the origin of all mental functions to help remedy the theoretical deficiency of cognitive science. The eighth vijnana belongs to neither mind nor material, yet can give rise to mind and material as well as all mental functions. It is possible for everyone to personally verify the eighth vijnana, which is the original entity of mental schema. This article thinks that the ”positivist ontology” of the eighth vijnana proposed by Buddhism is in perfect accordance with the positivist spirit of science. Hopefully, this approach can provide a vital clue to researches in cognitive science with a new thinking. We believe that all the suggestions useful to researches in cognitive science will be accepted based on its spirit of ”Inter-Disciplinary”. Owing to the limitation of topic and space, this article can merely provide the ”positivist ontology” of the eighth vijnana through a rough idea of Positivist Buddhism for researchers of cognitive science to think in a different way. For detailed discussion, a special article on this topic will be needed in the future study.