文化相对论二分观:文化评价与文化交流的武器

文化相对论认为衡量文化没有绝对、普遍的判别标准 ,一切道德评价标准都是相对的。这一观点对于促进各民族的相互理解和谅解具有现实意义 ,对于防止和抵制文化霸权主义也具有进步意义。但在文化交流、跨文化交际日益频繁的当今世界 ,文化评价不可避免 ,文化相对论的主张在实践上很难行得通。因此 ,我们认为 :不宜对任何民族的总体文化风貌作价值判断 ,但可以通过文化比较 ,对某些文化现象作出个人的价值判断 ,以便作出个人的抉择 ,另一方面 ,不同语言的特点可论 ,差异可论 ,优劣绝对不可论。

Revisiting Cultural Relativism for Cultural Evaluation and Exchange

Cultural relativism is the belief that there is no universal standard of good and bad or right and wrong and that an aspect of any given culture can be judged only within its own context. This belief has been proved to be a good weapon against cultural imperialists but has recently incurred repeated challenges from those who are bent on cultural exchanges and cultural evaluation. The writer of this paper holds the following views: 1)cultural evaluation is inevitable so long as cultural exchanges are going on; 2) the abuse of cultural relativism would hinder healthful cultural exchanges; and 3) through reevaluating cultural relativism for cultural exchanges and intercultural communication we may find that it is wrong to view one culture as superior or inferior to another but that there is nothing wrong with personal evaluation of any cultural elements as part of a given culture.