侯方域民族气节重议

Reevaluation of Hou Fangyu's National Integrity

清初文学家侯方域入清参加顺治八年乡试问题 ,成为评价其气节人格的一个焦点。以封建时代对异代文人的评价标准来看 ,侯方域在明季只是一介白衣秀才 ,身不受国恩 ,名不录仕籍 ,入清参加乡试 ,不存在气节问题。侯氏虽然认为白衣秀才参加新朝的乡试 ,甚至出仕为官 ,不存在失节问题 ,但他并不愿意参加清朝的考试 ,更不愿做新朝的官 ;顺治八年乡试是侯氏在强大的政治压力下 ,为保全父亲 ,在忠孝不能两全的情况下所作的违心选择 ;这次乡试 ,表面看是向新朝屈服 ,实际是一次消极迂回的抗争 ,他以不把试卷做完的方式 ,拒绝了与清朝的合作 ;但这次乡试毕竟违背了他的初衷 ,使他高傲的灵魂受到伤害 ,不三年即抑郁而死。人类社会进入21世纪的今天 ,对封建时代文人的评价 ,不能再囿于封建的道德标准 ,以“忠君”、忠于一姓王朝、大汉族主义等狭隘民族爱国思想作为评判人格的尺度 ;

Hou Fangyu, a man of letters a the beginning of Qing Dynasty, took the imperial examination eight years after Shunzhi was enthroned, which became the point at issue of evaluating his integrity. According to the feudal criterion to evaluate a man of letters from a previous dynasty, his taking the examination did not mean losing moral courage. In fact Hou Fangyu was not willing to take the examination and had no intention to be an official. He took a roundabout way to oppose Qing Dynasty by handing in an unfinished examination paper. He was still hurt by the action against his will, and died of depression three years later. From present viewpoint, it is not proper to evaluate men of letters with feudal criteria of being loyal to a sovereign and narrow nationalism, and to sort out historical figures simply according to criteria of certain phase.