「社會」的形塑與發展：關於近代中國知識史研究的若干思考

The Shaping and Development of“Society”: Reflections on the Approaches of the History of Knowledge in Modern China

本文環繞近代中國「社會」領域三種不同的知識實踐，包括「語言、詞彙的描述和概念定義」、「學術體制和場域相應的梳分與再造」、「知識在日常世界的實踐及影響」，分別對應詞彙史和概念史、知識轉型與學科史、知識實踐／支配史三個範疇，回顧近年相關重要論述，期望在勾勒這些研究成果的總體特徵基礎上，進一步考慮兩個問題：第一，該如何描寫這三個層面的歷史經驗，進而評估這樣描寫和解釋「社會」領域的特質；第二，通過這三個面向的總合性思考，嘗試考慮以社會科學知識為核心，勾連相關近代中國的人物、歷史事件與學院場域內外重大變化，深化關於十九世紀以來知識轉型的多重理解。事實上，知識為我們建造了一條通往歷史行動者和結構的取徑，研究者應該嘗試探索將知識當作分析歷史現象特定視角的可能做法，而非僅將知識視為透明、中性之客體，僅僅描寫其內涵、觀念，亦或是將其置於社會文化脈絡中考索其內涵、流變。藉著「知識史」（history of knowledge）取徑，本文嘗試深化當前關於「中國現代知識建構」的理解與想像，並進一步考慮社會科學知識和「社會」領域在中國現代轉型過程中的交織互動。

The present review article revolves around three different knowledge practices in the“social”realm of modern China:“linguistic descriptions and conceptual definitions,”“the reconstruction and transformation of academic systems and corresponding fields,”and“the practice and impact of knowledge in everyday life.”These three correspond to the fields of lexical and conceptual history, knowledge transformation and disciplinary history, and the history of knowledge practices/control, respectively. By reviewing relevant important works in recent years, the aim is to delineate the overall characteristics of these research achievements and further consider two questions. First, how should one describe the historical experiences of these three aspects and thereby evaluate the characteristics of the“social”realm as described and explained in this way? Second, through the comprehensive consideration of these three dimensions, an attempt is made to explore the multiple understandings of knowledge transformation since the 19th century by connecting social science knowledge as the core with relevant individuals, historical events, and significant changes within and outside academic fields in modern China. In fact, knowledge provides us with an approach to understanding historical actors and structures. Researchers should attempt to explore the specific perspectives of analyzing historical phenomena through the lens of knowledge, rather than simply considering knowledge as a transparent and neutral object, describing its content and concepts or exploring its connotations and transformations within social and cultural contexts. Through the approaches of the“history of knowledge,”this article attempts to deepen the current understanding and imagination of“the construction of modern Chinese knowledge”and to further consider the intertwining interactions between social science knowledge and the“social”realm in the transformation processes of modern China.