英国文学中的颓废概念

彭虹

【摘要】无论是在西方还是东方，提起颓度（decadence）一词，人们首先想到的便是“为艺术而艺术”的口号，以及王尔德（Oscard Wilde）和葛悌埃（The Ophile Gautier）等人的耸人听闻的作品。本文则从西方传统文论出发，探讨颓废这一文学概念的渊源及发展。作者认为，尽管颓废文学的某些论点和口号貌似激进，实际上它滥觞于西方传统中有关文质关系的讨论，是对传统文学现念的一个挑战和修正。

【关键词】西方 为艺术而艺术 口号 传统文学观念 传统文论 王尔德 渊源 作品 东方 概念

In ancient Greece the earliest standards of judgment in literary criticism are recorded in Aristophanes， comedy Frogs. This essay explores the concept of decadence In English literature by the end of the nineteenth century. It argues that despite all the sensationalism associated with it， decadent literature was in fact a challenge to and a revision of the canonical notion of literature in the western tradition. Samuel Taylor Coleridge once remarked that in the west “everyone is either a Platonist or an Aristotelian” Since the Greeks laid the foundation for Western literary thought，they serve as a convenient point of departure for our discussion.

In ancient Greece the earliest standards of judgment in literary criticism are recorded in Aristophanes， comedy Frogs. The standards are ： “skillful in art”， and “wise counsel for the stare” This observation is very similar to the ancient Chinese concept of literature in that it aims at striking a balance between artistic form and utilitarian content. This is a crucial point， because the later development of literary theory is by and large a commentary on this balanced view of literature： an over emphasis on the former will result in a formalism，while an excessive attention to the later often produces a moralistic or pragmatic attitude toward 1iteratore. Decadent literature， as will be demonstrated throughout this study， is to some extent， at least on the surface， an extreme kind of formalism.

Plato and Aristotle， the two most influential thinkers in the West， did not seem to be much concerned with reaching such a balance Plato，s attitude toward literature can be characterized as moralistic In his thinking the concern with moral effect that literature has on the development of personality overshadows the concern with its aesthetic quality Plato is not blind to the profound effective quality of Home，and he recognizes the profound effective quality of his poetry. But unlike Confucius who regards the aesthetic quality of literature as essential to its participation in a social-moral program， Plato thinks that a quality will only weaken the mind of “ our guardians ” and make them effeminate.Then the imitative poet who aims at being popular is not by nature made， nor is his art intended， to please or to affect the rational principle in the soul ； but he will appeal rather to the lachrymose and fitful temper， which is easily imitated.

Plato objects to this kind of writing also because it does not serve a deep moral purpose ； it “is only a kind of play or sport” Poetry， at least bad poetry which in Plato，s view should be eliminated from his Republic， is merely a rhetorical skill， written to show off the writers ability to sway people，s minds and hearts， regardless philosopher，s effort. Plato predicts that when the rhetorician Isocrates.

Grows older， he should so excel in his present studies that all who have ever treated of rhetoric shall seem less than children ；and 1 suspect that these studies will not satisfy him， but a more divine impulse will lead him to greater things ； for my friend， something of philosophy is inborn in his mind.

Sin becomes virtue Sin becomes the driving force of human civilization. One could not be more radical in challenging a traditional value system.

References：

[1]Since French，influence on English，decadent literature is very strong period，some French will be included；but this essay is mainly concerned with English decadent literature.

[2]Hazard Adams，ed，Critical Theory Since Plato.San Diego.

[3]A Short History，2vols.（Chicago and London：The University of Chicago Press，1983）vol.I，4.

[4]In Chinese tradition gentlemen should be balancing his cultured appearance with a matching inner quality.

[5]A literature of pure form，is as a matter of fact a highly charged moral statement and gesture.

[6]It should be noted that Plato，s views of art and literature are far more complicated than this.

[7]See his Republic，Book III，in Plato：Five Great Dialogues.

[8]His words are：“言之无文，行而不远.”see[春秋左传正义[+三经注疏]，Beijing：Zhonghua Shuju，1980，vol.II，1985.