學者上電視與知識份子的缺席－－以「百家講壇」為例

Scholars on Television V.S. Absence of the Intellectuals - Using the TV show 'The Lecture Room' as an Example

《百家講壇》節目的走紅使「學者上電視」再次成為一個話題。討論中，多數觀點對「學者上電視」持肯定態度，陳丹青的肯定尤其醒目。本文認為，由於《百家講壇》的製作理念和篩選機制，被它選中的大都是學問型學者，而思想型學者卻被拒之門外。由此對比西方學者（主要是薩特）的媒體實踐，中國學者的差距便暴露無遺：薩特宣導作家、學者征服並使用大眾傳媒，他本人也積極介入相關媒體當中，其目的在於以此行動成為他所期望的「新知識份子」，於是他與媒體的關係除了介入、征服、使用、塑造等等之外還有拒絕、疏離和討價還價，知識份子的主體人格因此在媒體中得到張揚。而中國學者的上電視卻是一種被征服，是自主性的主動取消或被動閹割。這是因為他們作為學問型學者本來就欠缺成為知識份子的先天基礎，而電視又把他們變成了知道份子，結果便造成了學者輪番出入於電視臺而真正的知識份子則缺席於電視之局面。知識份子對電視媒體霸權的某種恐懼，電視臺不為知識份子提供交流思想的平台等等，應該是知識份子缺席電視的主要原因。

This paper primarily focuses on the discussion regarding issues of Chinese scholars on television and their presenting identities given by the mass media. Using the popular T.V. show 'The Lecture Room' as an example, scholars on television is highly approved by the majority of the people who work in the academic field, especially by Dr. Dan-Qin Chen, who were once a professor teaching art at Tsinghua University, Beijing. Due to the production principle and sieving mechanism, scholars being chosen to be on the T.V. show, 'The Lecture Room', are mostly characterized as the 'knowledge type' of scholars, who are usually lack the quality of critical thinking, which on the other hand is a key characteristic shared by those 'thought type' of scholars, who are rarely invited to be on the show. According to J.P Satre, one of the greatest existentialists in 20th century, the purpose of scholars being on mass media is not only to disseminate more advanced knowledge, but also to encourage thought interaction and stimulate critical thinking. These scholars are what he called the 'New Intellectuals'. However, based on the current situation of scholars on T.V., Satres' ideal scholar identity is totally diminished by the show production group. In other words, mass media in China does not provide a solid platform for these new intellectuals to demonstrate what genuine critical thinking interaction is like. This paper takes various standpoints to give a more in depth criticism regarding this discrepancy.