儒学的危机与民初孔教运动的起落

The Crisis of Confucianism and the Rise and Fall of the Confucianism Movement in the Early Republic of China

晚清以降,作为官方意识形态的儒学面临着严重的危机。民国建立后,儒学的危机更加深沉。为防止孔子之道随帝制的崩溃而沦丧,以康有为为代表的一批尊孔人士发起了要求定孔教为国教的孔教运动,并在1913年、1916—1917年随着国会制宪而有两次孔教运动的高潮。孔教运动本有相当的社会基础,也有相当的声势,但儒学本身的非宗教性质,国人宗教观念的淡薄,儒生多将儒学作为利禄之途而非视为宗教信仰,孔教运动的上层路线,动荡的政局,错综复杂的政治角力,教祸发生的可能,儒学与共和政治之间的紧张关系,以及孔教运动的灵魂人物康有为参与张勋复辟等等,都使孔教运动困难重重。而张勋复辟的闹剧,新文化运动的评孔非儒,则使孔教运动丧失了追随者与社会基础,从而不可避免地走向了衰落。

The Confucianism has faced a serious crisis since the late Qing Dynasty. After the 1911 Revolution,the crisis became even more severe. In order to prevent Confucianism from dying with the abolition of the monarchy,Confucius’ s admirers such as Kang Youwei,initiated a campaign to set up Confucianism as the state religion. The campaign came to its upsurge during the constitutional convention of 1913 and 1916—1917. This campaign with considerable social foundation and momentum was subject to many restrictions. The nonereligion character of Confucianism,the Chinese’s lack of religious enthusiasm,the Confucian scholars’ regarding Confucianism as a tool for seeking fame and fortune rather than as a religious belief,the upper-level line of the campaign,the turbulent political situation,the intricate wrestling between political forces, the possibility of religious wars, the tensions between Confucianism and Republican politics,and Kang Youwei’s participation in Zhang Xun’s restoration of the monarchy,etc.,all these troubled the Confucian movement. And thefarce of Zhang Xun ’s restoration of monarchy, and the commentary of Confucius and Confucianism by the new cultural movement made the Confucian movement lose its followers and the social foundations,and caused its inevitable decline.