西方伦理学研究视野和考察视角的滚动式拓展

西方伦理学的研究视野和考察视角随其历史的演进而滚动式地拓展。在希腊罗马伦理学中 ,只有哲学视野 (含存在论、认识论、人性论、生存论等视角 )。在中世纪基督教伦理学中 ,神学视野 (含神性论、神人关系论、灵魂论等视角 )统辖哲学视野。在近代西方伦理学中 ,哲学视野是脊梁 ,心理学视野 (以情感论视角为主 )和神学视野为两翼 ,而其他诸视野———如政治学的、历史学的、生物学的视野———充当侧肢。在现代西方伦理学中 ,哲学视野 (在原有视角之外新增价值论等视角 )、语言学视野 (含语义学、语用学等视角 )、心理学视野 (在原有视角之外新增潜意识论、发生认识论、需要—动机论、环境—行为论等视角 )和神学视野四强争雄的格局呈现出来 ,其他诸视野———生物学的、人类学的、经济学的、政治学的、历史学的、社会学的视野———则扮演配角。研究视野和考察视角的不断拓展为西方伦理学的发展提供了广泛的可能性。

On the Snowballing Expansion of Horizons and Perspectives in Western Ethics

The horizons and perspectives in western ethics have been snowballwise expanding with its historical evolution. In Greek and Rome ethics finds only philosophical horizon that consists chiefly of perspectives of ontology, of epistemology, of the theory of human nature, and of the outlook on life. In the medieval Christian ethics, philosophical horizon is subject to theological one that is made up mainly of perspectives of the theory of divine nature, of the theory of relationship between God and humans, and of the view of soul. In modern western ethics, philosophical horizon serves as a backbone, while psychological one where perspective of the theory of sentiment dominates, and theological one work as two wings, and other horizons such as political, historical, and biological function as peripheral limbs. In contemporary western ethics, philosophical horizon where perspective of axiology is annexed to the original perspectives, linguistic one including perspectives of semantics and pragmatics, psychological one where perspectives of the theory of unconsciousness, of genetic epistemology, of the theory of need-motivation, and of the theory of environment-behavior are attached to the original perspectives, and theological one rival each other on the stage, whereas other horizons such as biological, anthropological, economic, political, historical, and sociological play a secondary role of their own. The accumulating expansion of horizons and perspectives makes an extensive room for the development of western ethics.