辛亥时期知识分子关于“道德”的认知及实践——以吴稚晖、蔡元培“进德观”为中心

Moral Understanding and Practice of Intellectuals in the Period of Revolution of 1911—— with Wu Zhihui and Cai Yuanpei's Moral Attitude as the Centre

1912年1月1日,中华民国南京临时政府成立。与之相映衬的是,新建的民国依然隐含着一种潜在的道德危机,是年2月26日,以吴稚晖为代表的同盟会会员在上海率先发起以提高个人道德为宗旨的进德会。进德的核心要旨是社会中关于"吃花酒、斗麻雀、讨小老婆"等陋俗。然而自1912年4月8日,袁克定、袁克文介入进德会事宜之后,进德会原有的理念宗旨却被渐次地异化,客观上宣告了进德会的破产。作为上海进德会参与人之一(蔡元培当时名列甲部会员),蔡元培应该说积累了一定的道德运作经验,这也为他日后在北京大学发起进德会奠定了基础。1917年1月4日,蔡元培就任北京大学校长。面对校园中师生们日益严峻的私德问题,蔡元培着手发起北大进德会,该会所关注的要旨依然是"嫖娼、赌博、娶妾"等社会陋俗。经过一年之余的进德活动,进德会着实提高并净化了北大的校园风气。其影响主要体现在五四运动之中,以进德会会员为代表的学生领袖在其中发挥了中流砥柱般的作用。

On January 1,1912,Nanjing Provisional Government of the Republic of China was founded.In contrast,there lurked a potential moral crisis in the newly established republic.On February 26,1912,members of the United League of China,with Wu Zhihui as the representative,launched a campaign to improve people's moral standard.The campaign aimed at fighting against such undesirable customs as'going whoring,gambling and taking a concubine'.On April 8,1912,Yuan Keding and Yuan Kewen began to intervene in the campaign.As a result,its original notions and purposes were gradually alienated.This,in fact,announced the failure of the campaign.As one of the initiators,Cai Yuanpei accumulated in the campaign certain experience in handling moral matters,which laid solid foundation for him to make the same campaign in Peking University.On January 4,1917,Cai assumed the post of president of Peking University.Facing the increasingly serious moral problems prevailing in the university,he set about launching the moral campaign again,whose major purpose was still aimed at such undesirable customs as'going whoring,gambling and taking a concubine'.One year later,the campaign did clarify the campus culture of Peking University.Its influences were reflected in the May 4th Movement.Student leaders represented by members of the moral promoting campaign played a major role in the movement.