明代士大夫的忠孝观念及其行为实践

The Concept and Practice of Loyalty and Fealty Held by of Scholars-bureaucrat in the Ming Dynasty

明代士大夫的忠孝观念,尽管所涉甚多,然究其要者,则当包括以下四个方面:一是忠与孝的关系,即究竟是忠孝不能两全,还是忠孝可以合一;二是忠臣孝子的精神史源流,即孟子所言的大丈夫"浩然之气",与忠臣孝子之间存在着何种传承关系,以及忠臣孝子所具的侠义精神;三是忠孝的名实之辨,即从名副其实的"愚忠"实践者与名不副实的沽名钓誉者两个侧面,对忠孝观念重加论定;四是在整个明代社会变动的背景下,忠孝观念开始出现诸多的转向。从明代很多忠臣的表现来看,无不体现出一种"愚忠"。一个"愚"字,似乎证明他们的行为实践,并非出于理性的自我,而是出于外来精神压力之下的被动接受。

There are a lot of theories about the concept of loyalty and fealty held by the scholars-bureaucrat in the Ming Dynasty.However,four points are crucial.The first concerns the relationship between loyalty and fealty,i.e.whether they are mutually exclusive or combinable.The second is the origin of this loyalty and fealty's history.How did this concept inherit the nature of Mencius's saying 'Noble spirit'? What exactly is the spirit of chivalrous in loyal and filial men ? The third is the debate between the authentic and fictitious loyalty &fealty.What is true loyalty &fealty ? The judgment can be made by contrasting the genuine loyal men and the undeserved loyal men who just angled for praises.Fourth,in the background of social change in the Ming Dynasty,the concept of loyalty &fealty begins to take much steering.One is the 'formulaic loyalty '(愚忠) which ministers strengthened.This formulaic loyalty is the proof of their love to the empire and the emperors.But this proof is deliberate.It comes from the spirit of the external pressure,not from rational selves.