一场偏离了基点的“知识考古”——侯旭东《中国古代专制说的知识考古》一文驳议

Departure from the Basic Point——A Discussion of Hou Xudong's Archaeological Studies on Ancient Chinese Despotism

侯旭东在《中国古代专制说的知识考古》一文中,一说关于中国秦代以来是专制主义的"论断"是19世纪末年中经日本传入的;二说该论断是18世纪"个别"的"西方人对中国的歪曲";三是侯本人开始时已经强调了只对专制主义作词汇传播史的考察,对中国秦代以来的体制本身不做研究,但又在其文章中五次以上指称该论断是西方人对中国历史的"歪曲"与对中国的"偏见"。这些,一是与相关的历史事实严重不符,二是文章在观点上自相矛盾。关于中国秦代以来是君主专制统治的认识,一是中国本土从秦汉时期就有,并且到清代中期一直有传承;二是严复、谭嗣同、夏曾佑等人未经日本直接与西学接触而早于侯文中所说的梁启超等人,就对中国秦代以来的君主专制统治进行过详细阐述。这两方面的大量史实表明,侯文的观点不能成立。

Hou Xu-dong expresses in his An Archaeological Studies on Ancient Chinese Despotism that the proposition of China＇s absolutism since Qin Dynasty was introduced to China from Japan in the late 19^th century; he also maintains that this proposition is a distortion created by some 18^th century westerners. Hou Xu-dong＇s theory is not in conformity with the historical fact; besides,many of his viewpoints are contradictory. The idea of China＇s absolute monarchy since Qin Dynasty was formed within China around the Qin and Han period. This idea passed down till the mid-Qing Dynasty. What＇s more, Yan-Fu, Tan Si-tong, Xia Zeng-you etc. touched on western studies without any prior contact with Japan and further espoused China＇ s absolute monarchy since Qin Dynasty. All this happened before Liang Qi-chao ＇ s studies. Based on these historical facts, Hou＇ s ideas are not reasonable.