Five Views of the Digital in a Sociological Perspective
社会学视域下的五种数字观
Résumé
The concept of "digital" has become a key word in social development, but its reference is ambiguous and confusing, and its meaning is limited to technical conditions and tools. This paper distinguishes five views of the digital: technical digital, value digital, action digital, cultural digital and normative digital, and provides a sociological interpretation of the connotation of "digital". "Digital” can be used as a material basis for digital society, a symbolic value representation, a social mechanism for coordinating action, a fluid cultural context, and a set of normative social demands. Distinguishing five views of the digital helps to avoid the essentialist position of technological logic in favor of capturing an open social logic in the digital society. This article provides the necessary foundation for deepening digital studies while encouraging the idea of constructing a system of digital concepts.
“数字”概念已经成为社会发展的关键词，但其所指是模糊和混乱的，其意义维度局限于技术条件和工具。本文区分了五种数字观：技术数字、价值数字、行动数字、文化数字和规范数字，对“数字”的内涵进行了社会学解读。“数字”可以作为数字社会的物质基础、符号性的价值表征、协调行动的社会装置、流动的文化情境和规范性的社会要求。区分五种数字观有助于避免技术逻辑的本质主义立场，支持在数字社会中捕捉开放的社会逻辑。本文为深化数字研究提供了必要基础，同时强调了构建数字观念体系的重要意义及其可能路径。