國際關係研究的詮釋學──狄爾泰評介

Hermeneutics in I.R. Studies: Introduction on Dilthey

狄爾泰是德國近代重要的哲學家，這位哲學家在英語世界一直未受到應有的重視，直至近年來，由於詮釋學的興起，使國際關係研究發生了科學方法與人文方法的融合，構建了社會建構主義、後現代主義，社會行動理論和批判理論等的風行。這重大的交會，基本上都圍繞著實證主義與詮釋學的知識論與方法論的論爭，以說明或理解這個世界。這些偉大的哲學議題，都深受狄爾泰影響。如海德格、馬克思‧韋伯與哈伯瑪斯、高達美等。狄爾泰的名言「對於自然，我們可以解釋；對於人，我們只能理解」。指出研究人內心世界的精神料學的方法論必須建立在詮釋學的基礎上。在國際關係、理論發展脈絡裡，存在著兩種研究方法：一種是「實證」的方法；另一種是「詮釋」的方法。美國主流學派重視實證研究方法而英國學派堅持詮釋研究方法。國際關係研究雖重視實證方法，但終離不開對文本（Text）的研究。研究文本，最基本的途徑之一，就是運用詮釋學方法理解其意義並做出適當的解釋。

Wilhelm Dilthey is an outstanding philosopher in modem times of Germany, yet he had never been treasured as he deserved. In the recent past, due to the popularity of the Hermeneutics, the fusion of scientific and human research methods in I.R. studies gave rise to such as Constructivism, Postmodernism, Action theory and Critical theory. The fusion caused the debate of epistemology and methodology between Positivism and Hermeneutics about how to better explain or understand this world. All the major philosophic issues above are influenced by Dilthey. Dilthey once said ''Nature we explain, psychological life we understand,'' which means the methodology that researches one's mind must be on the basis of Hermeneutics. There are two main methodologies in the development of I.R. theories: Positivism, which is popular among American scholar, and Hermeneutics, which is, on the other hand, suggested by scholars of English School. Although I.R. studies emphasize the research method of positivism, the importance of ''Text'' research never ceases, and the most fundamental way of doing text research is using Hermeneutics to comprehend the meaning and bring forth the right explanation.