積極參與日治時期政治社會運動的蔣渭水，早年曾受漢學薰陶，及長又接受日式近代教育洗禮；由於蔣氏之政治生命隨著二○年代的過去而結束，不同於其他知識分子經歷日後國民身分轉變的衝擊，使其政治形象的純淨度得以保全，但也因此在日後引發各方政治立場爭相詮釋。 蔣渭水形象在各時代的解讀差異甚大，於日本殖民者眼中是民族主義的煽動者，戰後被國民黨政府視為中國民族主義者，黨外時期的反對運動主張蔣氏是體制內改革者，解嚴後則有愈來愈多學者認為他是台灣民族主義者；此外，八○年代後，蔣渭水的形象解讀開始出現百家爭鳴的現象，因此本文針對蔣渭水形象在各時代的轉變加以分析，討論這個現象發生的原因、過程及影響，進而推論出歷史人物或事件之詮釋與政治權力的關聯。 蔣渭水的形象解讀之所以在各時代有所不同，以傅柯「知識－權力」理論的分析來看，是與「誰有權解釋」有關，意即蔣渭水形象是依據當代有權發聲者的認知或需求而產生不同的詮釋角度，並型塑成一套對當權者有利的知識體系。 藉由探討蔣渭水的形象變遷過程可知，歷史人物定位的解讀並非約定成俗，各時代的詮釋方式是隨著當時的權力運作而有所不同，擁有權力者取得發聲權，以左右人物或事件的歷史解釋。 Jiang Wei-shuei was an active participant in the social movements during the Japanese occupation period (1895-1945). He was well educated in traditional Chinese studies as a child and later received modern Japanese education. Jiang’s political career ended with the 1930s, which also means that his political image remained intact unlike other intellectuals who also underwent the impact of citizenship changes. However, this caused a multitude of interpretations made by those from a variety of political standings. Jiang’s image suffered great differences in different ages. He was an agitator of nationalism to the Japanese colonial government; a Chinese nationalist to the post-war Nationalist Party government; a revolutionist within the system to the ‘Tang Wai’ (non-KMT) oppositionists. After the lift of the martial law an increasing number of scholars regard him as a Taiwanese nationalist. From the 1980s onwards, there were many different interpretations of Jiang’s image. This essay attempts to analyze the transitions from different ages and discuss the reasons, the process, and impact of such differences and concludes the relationship between political power and past events and individuals. Jiang’s image may be interpreted differently over the year may be the result of ‘who has the authority to interpret’ according to Michael Focault’s ‘knowledge-power’ theory. This is to say that Jiang’s image was interpreted differently according to the different understandings or requirements of those who has the authority at the time and formed in such a way that favors these people. It can be observed from studying how Jiang’s image changed overtime that the image of a historical figure might not always remain constant. Interpretations may vary with power play of the time. Those who hold power determines how past events or figures are interpreted.
