論潘能伯格的真理觀 / 郭偉聯

撮要

潘能伯格的神學其中的一個特點，就是強調神學的真理性。本文嘗試展開有關潘能伯格的真理觀及後現代主義對其挑戰的探討。在第一部分，作者以潘氏《系統神學》第一冊中的論述，指出「一致性」(coherence)及「預見性真理」 (anticipation)乃潘氏真理觀的重要觀念。在第二部分，作者首先介紹潘氏的「預見」概念，如何能對應部分後現代主義者所提出的質疑;隨後則指出，對潘氏而言，傅柯有關歷史、真理與權力的批判，才是潘氏未能回答後現代主義提問的核心所在。而作者透過介紹潘氏對伽達默「視域融合」(fusion of horizons)概念的運用，進一步闡釋潘氏與傅柯的見解存在著的矛盾。最後，作者提出潘氏雖然致力神學真理問題的探討，但這探討亦有其實用性影響，並非天馬行空之說。

ABSTRACT

One of the distinguished characteristics of Pannenberg’s theology is his enthusiasm for defending the truth claim of the Christian Theology in the postmodern world. This paper aims to examine whether Pannenberg’s effort in this aspect is successful from a philosophical hermeneutic perspective. The first part of the paper pinpoints two important concepts in Pannenberg’s discussion of the question of truth: 1) Emphasizing coherence as the foundation of truth claim; 2) The truth grasped in the present world is provisional and we should approach the truth by means of “anticipation”. The second part deals with the challenges of postmodernism to Pannenberg’s assertion. While Pannenberg may defend his stand from some postmodern critiques by the concept of “anticipation” to a certain extent, Michel Foucault’s post-structuralism would be a harsh critic of Pannenberg’s viewpoint, as Pannenberg’s argument heavily relies on a stable relationship between truth and history. By illustrating that Pannenberg has adopted H.G. Gadamer’s concept of “fusion of horizons” in his construction of truth claim in universal history, the writer argues that it shows the root of the theoretical incommesurable and contradiction among Foucault and Pannenberg’s stands, that is, the extreme divergence in their presumptions on the nature of history and the possibilities of interpretation.

原載於《建道學刊》11期（1999年1月），頁81-104。