Towards an anthropology of relevance: An intercultural dialogue between Schutz and Nishida

“相关性”的概念描述了以一种规则的方式塑造人类行动和经验的模式。然而，与严格“规则”的概念不同，相关性的概念也抓住了这样一个事实，即这种模式对各种情况和个人都是开放的。“相关”方面不仅包括(1)那些熟悉的、习惯性的或可辨认的，因为它们符合既定的意义模式，而且(2)那些新奇、奇怪或独特的方面，即那些偏离现有模式的方面。规则模型忽略了相关性的后一面，而偏向于前者。但只有双方结合在一起，才能产生我们的情景决策和感知、我们灵活的、有时是创造性的语言使用、我们情绪的动态，或者我们与个人的接触。因此，一个双边的相关性概念确定了规则模型未能捕捉到的我们主观生活和社会生活基础上的紧张关系。本项目的目标是发展一种哲学上的相关性理论，系统地阐明这种紧张关系。这意味着解决与文化因素相关的研究空白。尽管在哲学、社会学、语言学、认知科学和信息科学等几个学科中，关联模型已被证明是优越的，但研究一直退回到规则模型。这种失衡的部分原因是，日本哲学家西田贵子(KitarōNishida，1870年至1945年)指出，欧洲的思想传统偏向于稳定的结构。因此，该项目采用了“跨文化哲学”的工具。回顾20世纪30年代以来经常被遗忘的关联研究，阿尔弗雷德·舒茨(Alfred Schutz，1899-1959)的关联理论被选为研究的出发点。为了纠正甚至在舒茨身上也造成理论困难的文化偏见，西田寻求与西田进行对话，西田阐述了关联的第二面所起的不可减少的作用。以问题为导向的阅读旨在对这两种观点及其共同的对象进行三角划分，同时增强两位哲学家的潜能。哲学人类学被选为一个参照系，以突出重点。关联论将强调“人”概念的文化和历史差异，它将反映不同文化之间的关系，这种关系指的是基于当前围绕“全球化”的辩论中的趋势，即开放或关闭文化边界的共同基础。该项目在进行最近的相关性研究的同时，还提出了一种以社会现象学和历史人类学为基础的独立方法，其中包括在分析哲学框架内(例如，艾美奖·诺伊特独立初级研究小组“相关性”)进行的形式化研究。结果将以一本书和至少两篇同行评议的文章的形式发表。

The concept of “relevance” describes patterns which shape human action and experience in a regular fashion. However, unlike the concept of a strict “rule”, the concept of relevance also captures the fact that such patterns are open to a variety of situations and individuals. “Relevant” aspects are not only (1) those which are familiar, habitual or recognisable because they fit within established meaning-patterns, but also (2) those which are novel, strange or unique, i.e. those which deviate from existing patterns. A rule model neglects this latter side of relevance in favour of the former. But only both sides taken together produce our situated decisions and perceptions, our flexible and sometimes creative use of language, the dynamic of our emotions, or our access to the individual other person. A two-sided concept of relevance thus identifies a tension at the basis of our subjective and social lives which a rule model fails to capture. The goal of the present project is to develop a philosophical theory of relevance which systematically elucidates this tension. This means addressing a gap in research which is related to cultural factors. Despite the fact that in several disciplines, such as philosophy, sociology, linguistics, the cognitive and information sciences, relevance models have proven superior, research keeps falling back to rule models. This unbalance is due in part to a bias towards stable structures in European traditions of thought which has been pointed out by the Japanese philosopher Kitarō Nishida (1870-1945). Therefore, the project employs the tools of “intercultural philosophy”. Referring back to the often forgotten relevance research from the 1930s onwards, the most developed theory of relevance, that of Alfred Schutz (1899-1959), is singled out as a point of departure. In order to correct the cultural bias which causes theoretical difficulties even in Schutz, a “dialogue” is sought with Nishida, who elaborates the irreducible role of the second side of relevance. A problem-oriented reading aims to “triangulate” between the two perspectives and their shared object, and at the same time to strengthen both philosophers’ potential. Philosophical anthropology is chosen as a frame of reference to sharpen the focus. The theory of relevance will emphasise the cultural and historical variation in conceptions of “man”, and it will offer a reflection about the relation between cultures which refers to a common ground at the basis of trends within current debates around “globalisation” towards either opening or closing cultural boundaries. The project, while taking up recent relevance research such as the formalisations worked out within the framework of analytical philosophy (e.g. by the Emmy Noether independent junior research group “Relevance”), presents an independent approach based on social phenomenology and historical anthropology. The results will be published in the form of a book and at least two peer-reviewed articles.