邪恶之花未必只结罪恶之果——晚清社会转型之际捐纳的客观作用

Evil Flower Not Necessarily Only Bear Evil Fruit——On Objective Effect of Donating for Official Title during the Late Qing Social Transformation

晚清社会开始向近代转型之初,被斥为秕政的捐纳却为筹办海防和建设海军筹措了大量的经费,一定程度上加强了以海防为重心的国防。捐纳人员在儒学造诣、对传统文化的传承等方面不及科甲人员,却更具有经济头脑,更容易接受西方的近代理念和价值观,因而在适应社会转型、经营近代化事业等方面比科甲人员具有明显的优势。捐纳人员中确有一些各具专长的优秀人才。在大多数科甲出身的官员不屑于洋务的情况下,洋务派官僚选用优秀的捐员举办洋务新政,参与近代企业的经营与管理,取得了可观的成效。

When the Late Qing society transforms to modern times, donating for official title which had been denounced as blighted government affair raised massive funds for the coast defense and the navy of the Late Qing Dynasty. It strengthened the Late Qing governmental national defense which took the coast defense for the center of gravity. Donators were far inferior to the imperial examination personnel on Confucianism attainments and traditional culture inheritance, but they had better commercial mind, were easier to accept western modern ideas and values. Thus they had obvious superiority compared to imperial examination personnel in adapting social reforming and managing modernization enterprise. There were also really some outstanding talented persons in the donation personnel of irregular quality. Considering the majority of the imperial examination officials were snooty to handle concerning foreign affairs, the westernizing bureaucrats selected the outstanding donators to conduct concerning foreign affairs to participate the management of the modern enterprise. The obtained effect was considerable.