内容摘要:美国独立战争之后,随着宗教意识的世俗化、资本主义的发展以及个人主义的张扬,美国以清教为基础的传统共同体被逐步消解,而超验主义主体在个人意识得到极大张扬的同时也陷入唯我和超验的困境。因而,新的民族共同体和主体性有待构建,这既是政治需求,亦是心理需求。美国文艺复兴作家们在构建独立的美国民族意识和国族文学的时候,不得不思考自在性“独体”与互系性“共同体”之间的矛盾关系。赫尔曼·梅尔维尔的代表作《莫比·迪克》就描写了这一矛盾,并呈现了一组有关独体和共同体之间的对话:亚哈代表了西方传统中强调内在性与超验性认同的独体存在困境,暗示了有机共同体的不可能性;以实玛利代表了从独体走向共同体的救赎之路,却又指明了有机共同体的可能性。梅尔维尔的共同体書写对走出二十世纪思想界的“独体”怪圈也有启示意义。
关键词:梅尔维尔;《莫比·迪克》;独体;共同体
基金项目:本文系江苏省教育厅高校人文社科基金项目 “美国文艺复兴文学中的主体间性伦理研究”(2016SJB750028)的阶段性研究成果。
作者简介:段国重,男,扬州大学外国语学院副教授,博士,硕士生导师。主要研究兴趣:英美文学和西方思想史。
Abstract: After the American Independence War, traditional American community based on Puritanism was gradually decomposed due to the secularized religion, growing capitalism, and rising individualism. At the same time, transcendentalist subjects were trapped in egoism and transcendence. It is both a political and a psychological demand to establish new national community and subjectivity. Writers and thinkers in the American Renaissance had to consider the conflicts between “singularity” and “community” in constructing American national consciousness and literature. Herman Melvilles Moby Dick depicts such a conflict and presents a dialogue between American singularity and community: Ahab stands for a radical singularity, indicating the impossibility of true community, while Ishmael represents a way out of singularity towards community. In addition, Melvilles writings on community promises to throw light on the confusions around singularity in the 20th century.
Key words: Melville; Moby Dick; singularity; community
Author: Duan Guozhong is associate professor at School of International Studies, Yangzhou University (Yangzhou 225002, China). His major research interest is British and American Literature, and Western history of ideas. E-mail: duanguozhong@126.com
美国独立战争之后,工业化和资本主义经济开始发展,统治新英格兰近两百年的清教信仰也受到了极大的挑战。作为美国文艺复兴运动的灵魂人物,爱默生对清教教义进行了全面的批判,主张用个人的灵魂和宇宙“超灵”作为衡量一切的新标准,推崇一种“精神的宗教,与机构无关,与仪式无关”(钱满素 9)。……