Question 3

Author: Yu Hong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Problem disciplinization refers to the way in which intellectual scholarship has, until now, primarily proposed, established, explored, and answered questions in a disciplinary manner, forming categorized knowledge and insights, as well as categorized problems. Problem disciplinization, on the other hand, questions the disciplinization of problems, revealing the partiality, obscurity, absurdity, and limitations of disciplinary knowledge and insights, and dismantling the boundaries of problem disciplinization. The process of modernity has, on one hand, accelerated the construction of knowledge through problem disciplinization, and on the other hand, inspired reflective skepticism and critique of problem disciplinization. However, the tension and conflict between problem disciplinization and problem disciplinization have never reached equilibrium; history has always leaned toward one side. Broadly speaking, intellectual scholarship before the 20th century tended to favor problem disciplinization, while problem disciplinization was regarded as "heretical." Since the 20th century, intellectual scholarship has leaned more toward problem disciplinization, while problem disciplinization is seen as "conservative." It is clear that some of the major issues we face and discuss today, such as globalization, post-colonialism, modernity, post-modernity, ecological crisis, technological rationality, gender, mass media, power discourse, and so on, are difficult to classify under any single discipline, and no discipline can provide all the concepts and logic to address these issues. Additionally, past problems such as "nature," "society," "history," "reality," "truth," "science," "progress," "self," "language," "humanity," and "god," which were once addressed in disciplinary ways, have now resurfaced as new problems and are being re-problematized in non-disciplinary and interdisciplinary ways. This is an era where new problems constantly emerge and old problems are resurrected, yet it is also an era without predetermined promises or answers. Today, the significance and weight of academic thought no longer depend on whether it can become part of disciplinary knowledge, but rather on whether it poses meaningful questions or provides meaningful approaches to solving them. Facing the problems themselves does not mean being non-historically immersed in nihilism; the existing history of problems and disciplinary knowledge are our entry points into the issues, but they are not predetermined exits. Perhaps only when we learn to and truly find new exits will life open up new horizons. Facing the problems themselves also means not only emphasizing problem awareness but also emphasizing the attempt to problematize, i.e., the attempt to propose and answer problems beyond existing problem patterns, especially the attempt to problematize personal existential experiences. To this end, Problem aims to explore a non-disciplinary publishing approach, focusing on 3-4 thematic issues per issue, composed of thematic essays, thematic translations, thematic discussions, thematic interviews, and thematic book reviews. The selected themes are not restricted by discipline but are first evaluated for their problematization value. Additionally, Problem adheres to an anonymous peer-review system to ensure academic quality and fairness.