为科举正名

Rethinking the Demonization of China's Imperial Examination

近百年来,"科举"和科举制长期被妖魔化。我们不应将"科举"看成一个贬义词,而应该当成一个中性词,一个含义非常丰富而复杂的词语。通过对历史表象的辨析,可以发现以往人们对科举制存在太多的误解。古往今来的实践表明,不能否定科举制的合理内核,彻底否定整个科举制度实际上就是否定考试制度。作为传统社会相对公平的一种选才制度,科举不是传统社会的万恶之源,而是凝聚着中华历史上众多文化巨人无数智慧的一项制度创造。

Imperial Examination（IE） and its system have been demonized in the past hundred years.This paper argues that we should regard IE as a neutral term？rather than a derogatory one,for the term ＂IE＂ has profound and complex meanings.Analyses of historical phenomena reveal many misinterpretations of IE.Yet,the long history of IE practice tells us that the kernel of IE is undeniably reasonable.Complete negation of the IE system amounts to negation of examinations.It is argued that IE was a relatively fair system for selecting talents rather than the root of all evil in traditional Chinese society.It was a system created on the basis of accumulations of wisdom of countless cultural giants throughout the history of ancient China.