明万历朝官员“乞休”现象分析

The Analysis of the Phenomenon of the Officials' Applying for Quitting during the Reign of Emperor Wanli in Ming Dynasty

明万历朝中后期,官员多言"乞休",甚或"杜门"、"挂冠"径去,成为万历朝凸显的政治现象。导致这一现象出现并愈演愈烈的因素主要在于明代政治制度嬗变衍生的权责架构失序,"以道事君,不可则止"思想的现实投射以及士大夫群体内部过度张力引发的非理性内耗等。"乞休"现象表达了近于晚明国家对士人控制力趋弱的实际态势以及士大夫政治文化有关退隐哲学的伦理困境。"乞休"作为传统政治文化的特殊脉动形式,展现了士大夫群体于困顿情境中消解国家制度体系的抗愤情绪与举措,同时反映出他们在认定自我价值时回归传统政治伦理秩序的倾向。

In the late reign of Wanli （万历）in Ming Dynasty,a great number of the officials apply for this emperor＇s permission to quit their positions. Some even refuse to continue fulfilling their duties before they actually get the permission. Some just surrender their commissions and leave office directly, without caring for the emperor＇s permission at all. This political phenomenon is especially prominent in the late reign of Wanli. The main factors that lead to this increasingly severe phenomenon are the systematic disorder of the power and duty produced in the whole governmental institution＇s evolving process, the practical reflection of the officials＇ beliefs in serving the emperor under the Great Principle of Dao, and the irrational internal friction caused by the excessive tension inside the officials. On one hand, the officials＇ applying for quitting shows the practical tendency that the country＇s controlling power towards them becomes weak gradually and the ethical dilemma of the retirement philosophy in the officials＇ political culture in the late period of the Ming Dynasty; On the other hand, the officials＇ applying for quitting shows not only their defying indignation and actions to disintegrate the national institution system as a result of their being in a straitened position but also their inclinations to return to the traditional political ethic order when identifying with their self-values