“重陆轻海”与“通洋裕国”之海洋观刍议

My Reflections upon the Different Views on Oceans of "Laying Stress on the Land but Underestimating the Sea" and of "Enriching the Country by Opening up Sea Routes"

明清两朝正处于世界性海洋历史发展的"千古变局"时代,但统治者沿袭传统模式,在立国思想上"重农抑商"、"重陆轻海",在国防战略上以"禁海"代替海防,禁海迁界、"守土防御",反映其海洋观念的淡薄;而东南沿海地方官员,尤其郑成功"通洋裕国"思想的提出和实践,显露出"以商立国",向海洋空间发展的意涵;传统时代"重陆轻海"与"通洋裕国"所反映的海洋观念,对国家民族发展的影响在某种程度上可以忽略不计,但大航海时代,海洋作为人类的第二生存空间影响到世界历史走向和发展格局时,"重陆轻海"观念所带来的深层影响会因此而改变国家和民族的命运。

The Ming and Qing Dynasties were just in an important period once in a thousand years of international sea development history, but the rulers thereof, due to their copying the traditional patterns of thought, ＂stressed agriculture while restraining commerce＂ and ＂laid stress on the land but underestimated the sea＂ in terms of ideology of building its nation while in the strategy of national defense, they practiced ＂sea blockading＂ in stead of coastal defense and ＂safeguarded the land for its defense＂, which reflected the lack of their concept of maritime development. Nevertheless, the local officials of the Southeastern coastal areas, ZHENG Cheng-gong in particular, raised and practiced the idea of ＂enriching the country by opening up sea routes＂, which indicated the implication of building up the nation to develop to the maritime space. In the traditional age, the influences exerted by the different concepts on the sea expressed respectively by ＂laying stress on the land but underestimating the sea＂ and of ＂enriching the country by opening up sea routes＂, to a certain degree, were of so minor importance that they could be neglected, yet, when the times of great navigation came, the impact of the concept of ＂laying stress on the land but underestimating the sea＂ could change the destiny of the state and the nation accordingly.