明代官员“忠”谥考论

A Research on the Officials' Posthumous Titles as “Zhong” in Ming Dynasty

在明洪武至崇祯朝,可得确证谥"忠"官员共计121人。赞襄军务,以至殁于战阵,敢于谏诤,甚至不惜以死感动君心,这构成官员获"忠"谥的最主要缘由,亦为"忠"之精神的主要表现形式。愈近晚明,明人以谏为忠的观念愈发清晰。同时,亦有部分官员因君臣关系相得而获"忠"谥,相对战与谏而言,其谥"忠"缘由较为模糊,君主的个人意愿在其中发挥了较为重要的作用。在明人的观念中,"忠"指向官员不惜牺牲生命以坚守政治原则的行为取向,臣这一政治角色确有忠君之内涵,然其旨归不限于对君主个人意愿的服从。"忠"被视为臣道的一种理想境界,构成官员在政治道德层面的自励目标。"忠"谥则将这种境界聚焦于可供效仿之典范人物的言行,既是"忠"之精神的表征,又构成一种促动官员尽忠的外部激励手段。

From Hongwu（洪武） to Chongzhen（崇祯）periods, it is confirmed that there are 121 officials get- ting their Posthumous titles as ＂zhong＂ altogether. The most important reason is that these officials do great contributions to the military affairs; some even died on the battlefield, or criticize and expostulate to the emperors. It is also the main characteristic of the ＂zhong＂. Approaching late Ming, the conceptions about the loyalty by expostulating is more clearly. Meanwhile, there are some officials getting their posthu- mous titles as ＂zhong＂ because of their good relations with the emperors. During this process, emperors＇ personal willingness plays important roles. ＂Zhong＂ is regarded as a kind of idealistic view of the offi- cials＇ doctrine, and also becomes their self-imposed target on the political morals. Given the Posthumous titles as ＂zhong＂ is an encouragement to the examples that have this idealist view, and they also become an external incentive measure to make the officials loyal to the emperors.