讽刺小说对思维的培养——以《范进中举》为例

The Cultivation of Thinking through Satirical Fiction—A Case Study of “Fan Jin’s Success in the Imperial Examination”

摘要: 讽刺小说的批判意图不直接呈现在文字表面，而是借助小说中情节的反常、人物言行的矛盾以及双重表意结构，使读者在阅读中产生认知冲突，进而推断判断与、分析与价值判断。本文借鉴保罗–埃尔德批判性思维三元结构模型，将思辨性思维操作化为识别问题、调动信息、分析假设、推理判断、形成结论五个认知环节。通过此框架去分析《范进中举》，小说的情节反常引发读者对因果关系的重新梳理，人物言行的前后矛盾激活评判空间的留白，双层含义的构造则要求读者跨越表层叙述进行深层推断。这三重机制分别对应思维元素中推理、假设与视角的激活，以及逻辑性、深度、广度等智识标准的运用。讽刺小说在思维培养上的独特价值，正源于其文本结构与思辨过程之间的这种关系。

Abstract: The critical intent of satirical fiction is not presented directly on the surface of the text. Instead, it relies on the abnormality of plot, the contradictions in characters’ words and deeds, and a dual structure of signification to generate cognitive conflicts in readers, thereby prompting them to make inferences, analyses, and value judgments. Drawing on the Paul-Elder tripartite model of critical thinking, this paper operationalizes critical thinking into five cognitive stages: identifying problems, mobilizing information, analyzing assumptions, making inferences and judgments, and forming conclusions. Using this framework to analyze “Fan Jin’s Success in the Imperial Examination,” it finds that the abnormality of the plot prompts readers to re-examine causal relationships; the contradictions in characters’ words and deeds activate the blank space for evaluation; and the construction of dual meanings requires readers to go beyond the surface narrative to make deep inferences. These three mechanisms correspond respectively to the activation of reasoning, assumptions, and perspectives among the elements of thought, and to the application of intellectual standards such as logicalness, depth, and breadth. The unique value of satirical fiction in cultivating thinking lies precisely in this relationship between its textual structure and the process of critical thinking.