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

“相关性”的概念描述了以规律的方式塑造人类行为和经验的模式。然而，与严格的“规则”概念不同，相关性概念也反映了这样一个事实，即这种模式对各种情况和个人都是开放的。“相关”方面不仅是（1）那些熟悉的，习惯的或可识别的，因为它们符合既定的意义模式，而且（2）那些新颖的，奇怪的或独特的，即那些偏离现有模式。规则模型忽略了后者的相关性，而倾向于前者。但是，只有把这两方面结合起来，才能产生我们的情境决定和感知、我们灵活的、有时是创造性的语言使用、我们情绪的动态，或者我们接近另一个人的途径。因此，一个两面性的相关性概念在我们的主观生活和社会生活的基础上确定了一种紧张关系，而这种紧张关系是规则模型无法捕捉的。本项目的目标是发展一个系统地阐明这种紧张关系的相关性的哲学理论。这意味着解决与文化因素有关的研究差距。尽管在哲学、社会学、语言学、认知科学和信息科学等学科中，关联模型已经被证明具有上级优势，但研究仍不断退回到规则模型。这种不平衡的部分原因是欧洲思想传统偏向于稳定的结构，日本哲学家西田北太郎（1870-1945）指出了这一点。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相关性研究，最发达的相关性理论，即阿尔弗雷德·舒茨（Alfred Schutz，1899-1959）的理论，被选为出发点。为了纠正即使在舒茨那里也会造成理论困难的文化偏见，他寻求与西田的“对话”，西田阐述了关联的第二方面不可简化的作用。以问题为导向的阅读旨在对两种观点及其共同目标进行“三角测量”，同时加强两个哲学家的潜力。哲学人类学被选为一个参考框架，以突出重点。关联理论将强调“人”的概念在文化和历史上的差异，它将提供一个关于文化之间的关系，这是指一个共同点的基础上，在当前的辩论趋势“全球化”的开放或关闭的文化边界。该项目，同时采取最近的相关性研究，如形式化的分析哲学的框架内制定的（例如由埃米诺特独立的初级研究小组“相关性”），提出了一个独立的方法，基于社会现象学和历史人类学。研究结果将以一本书和至少两篇同行评议文章的形式出版。

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.