生命的动物性和精神性——对桑塔亚那“本质”概念的考察

【作者】 孙宁；

【导师】 汪堂家；

【作者基本信息】 复旦大学 ， 外国哲学， 2009， 硕士

【摘要】 桑塔亚那是美国现代著名的哲学家、文学家批评家和诗人。本文旨在通过对其“本质”概念的考察来重新勾勒和整理他的哲学思想,并希望以此来(一)指明“本质”概念在桑塔亚那的哲学思想中所占的根本性地位以及对他的整个哲学构架所起的作用;(二)揭示出桑塔亚那的哲学遗产对美国的实在论运动和自然主义思潮所具有的深远影响;(三)最终试图从桑塔亚那独特的哲学思考中获得关于生命的根本性洞见。对哲学史的永恒母题之一——生命的动物性和精神性的思考将贯穿本次考察的始终。文章希望能够通过如下层层推进的步骤,取得一些对于这一母题有所助益的成果:考察将首先讨论通向本质的两条途径;接着,将进一步讨论对于这种本质所采取的态度,以及切近本质所采取的方法;然后,考察将再进一步推进到桑塔亚那所持的根本立场,即他的自然主义;最后,将把桑塔亚那的本质概念放到哲学史的背景之下进行更深一层的考察。通过将“存在”和“本质”截然两分,桑塔亚那让我们更好地认清了生命的含义:我们对于事物的存在以及存在本身的认识都无非是动物信仰,因此只有将动物性作为其根本状态的生命才‘是最真诚的。然而如果我们以根本的怀疑主义最终驳离这些动物信仰,最终我们仍可以找到一个无限的本质领域,而生命的精神性正是维系在这些本质之上。本质作为我们抛弃了所有未经证实的信念的积成物之后所剩下的残余,直接而无疑地显现在我们的心灵之中。桑塔亚那试图向我们指出,生命的精神性不应该是超拔于其动物性之上的某个世界,而是与生命的动物性息息相关;精神性不应该是对动物性的逃离,也不是对动物性的引渡,而是动物性生命实实在在的行动本身。怀着对动物性生命的真诚,又不忘精神性生命的指引,人类可以偶尔从幻相中抬起双眼,望向本质。更多还原

【Abstract】 Abstract:As a famous philosopher,critic and poet,George Santayana has been underrated for a long time.By re-examining his theory of essence, this article is aiming at a threefold effect:(A)try to argue that the theory of essence plays an initial part in Santayana’s philosophic inquiry;(B)try to unveil Santayana’s heritage on American realism and naturalism and(C)based on(A) and(B),undertake to attain some insights about life in fundamental bearings.The article will be oriented by following theme that being discussed through over the history of philosophy:the animality and spirituality of life.To achieve the intended aim,I will begin by discussing the two ways of finding the essence;then I will probe into the attitude we hold towards the essence and the way approaching it;further on,I will advance the my discussion to the philosophical position Santayana persists,his naturalism;and finally as a sum up,I will return to the theme and put my inquiry into the context of the history of philosophy.By distinguishing the existence and the essence,Santayana is able to help us to perceive the meaning of life more clearly.Our concepts of the things exist and the existence itself are no more than animal faith;and a sincere philosophy accepts this fact as the fundamental state of life. However,by the use of ultimate scepticism we could finally get rid of these animal faith and find a realm of essence which is infinite and includes all possibilities.Santayana argues that the realm of essence is highly relevant to the spirituality of life,because essence,as the last residuum of scepticism,will display itself as the cool joy of contact with the eternal.Throughout his struggling life,Santayana is undertaking to deliver that spirituality is neither an escape nor a liberation from animality,yet it is the very action of the animal life in this miry world.Afire,if could be called sincere,must always raise its head from animal faith and open its eyes to essence.This is the dry wit of Santayana.更多还原