清代慈善组织中的国家与社会——以苏州育婴堂、普济堂、广仁堂和丰备义仓为中心

State and Society in the Charitable Organizations during the Qing Dynasty:A study on the Yuying Tang,Puji Tang,Guangren Tang and Fengbei Yicang in Suzhou city

本文以清代苏州的四种慈善组织——育婴堂、普济堂、广仁堂和丰备义仓为例,梳理其在清代前期和后期的管理方式及收入来源,并进行对比,发现:清代前期苏州的慈善组织中存在着一种"官民合作"模式,民办慈善组织往往能够得到官府的支持和资助,官办救助机构也同样能得到来自民间的捐助。而在这种"官民合作"模式中,官府无疑处于强势的地位,民办的慈善组织接受官方资助后,便开始染上浓厚的官营色彩;而官办的救助组织虽然得到民间的大力捐助,但管理权仍然牢牢掌握在官府手中。在太平天国战争之后,苏州的地方绅士在慈善组织中的作用有所增强,地位有所提高,但这些慈善组织依然离不开官府的支持和资助,管理上也同样受到官府的监督和干预,并没有溢出"官民合作"的范畴。这就说明,晚清时期的"社会"并没有真正独立于"国家",强国家、弱社会的基本格局并没有改变。所以,慈善组织并不能被视作近代中国所谓的"公共领域"。

After reviewing the administration manners and income sources of charitable organizations in Suzhou city during the Qing dynasty,the paper argues that there was a style of cooperation between government and local society in the charitable organizations during the Qing dynasty,and the government was powerful and dominant.In the period of late Qing dynasty,whereas the force of gentry and merchant increased in the charitable organizations,the style of cooperation between government and local society didn't change.Accordingly,the traditional charitable organizations could not be regarded as the 'public sphere' of modern China.