中古英格兰的社会结构与中间阶级的崛起

The Social Structure of England in Middle Ages and the Emergence of the Middle Class

二战以来,西方社会结构发生了明显的变化,中间阶级的数量及其作用与日俱增。中间阶级在不同的时期有不同的内涵。20世纪以来,其主要成分是白领。在现代早期的英格兰,中间阶级的主要成分则是乡绅。中古英格兰呈现出多元权力结构的状态。权力的四极——国王、封建主、教会、城市之间相互掣肘,这就为下层民众的崛起创造了生存空间。他们摆脱束缚,成为自由民。一部分自由民,经济实力逐渐壮大,社会地位不断提高。社会上层的下限和社会下层的上限融合为一体,现代早期的中间阶级——乡绅开始崛起。

Great changes have taken place in social structure in western world since World War II. The number and influence of middle class get more and more larger. The middle class is the outcome of modern times and has different contents in different periods. Its component is White Collar Workers since the 20~th century. Yet in early modern times, gentry was its main component In Middle Ages. England was a society in which there was a structure of pluralistic power, and the King, lords, churches, and cities were respectively the four polars of the power. They impeded with each other, which made the people in the lower strata of society get rid of the fetter of their lords and became freemen. Some of the freemen got more and more wealthy and their status was improved by and by. Thus the bottom of the upper class and the top of the lower class mixed together. Then middle class of modern times-gentry was created.