制度的强化与意义的流失——以清代科举制度对儒学教育的影响为例

Reinforcement of Imperial Education System and Loss of Confucian Meaning

儒家学说、儒学教育、科举制度是维系清代皇权政治的重要措施。其中,儒家学说是清王朝的政治意识形态,儒学教育是传播儒学与培养儒学人才的途径,科举制度是选拔儒学人才的制度保障。在三者关系上,儒家学说是意义所在,居于主导地位;儒学教育承担传承儒学并培养儒学人才的职责,居于中心地位;科举制度是选拔儒学人才的制度保障,是维护意义与选拔人才的手段。但是,在发展过程中,科举制度不断被强化,进而主宰了儒学和培养儒学人才的教育。结果使得儒学、教育与科举制度共同陷入被动:儒学的意义不断流失进而成为被质疑的对象,儒学教育非但不能推动社会变革甚至无法适应政治需要而面临被改造的命运,科举制度则被认为是恶制而终被废止。

The loss of Confucian meaning, the decline of Confucian education, and the abolition of imperial examination system, have a casual relation with the 'western learning spreading to the east', on which there are numerous studies in this area. However, this does not mean that the external factor is the only factor of the decline and even the disintegration of Confucianism, Confucian education and the imperial examination system. Long before the arrival of the Western powers, the problems of Confucianism dominated under the imperial examination system and education was quite serious. With the introduction of the 'western learning', these problems became even more prominent and worse. This paper aims to reveal the reason of the loss of Confucian meaning, the decline of Confucian education, and the abolition of imperial examination system caused by the reinforcement of the imperial examination system from 'internal' perspective.Confucianism, Confucian education and the imperial examination system played important roles in maintaining the imperial rule of the Qing Dynasty. Among them, Confucianism was the political ideology of the Qing Dynasty, aimed at maintaining the legitimacy of the dynastic politics; Confucian education was the way to spread Confucianism and cultivate Confucian talent, in order to train personnel who can govern themselves; the imperial examination system was the system to guarantee the selection of Confucian talents, so as to meet the demand forreserve officials. In these three relations, Confucianism was the meaning; Confucian education was the way of inheritance of Confucianism; and the imperial education system was the means to guarantee the inheritance of Confucianism. However, in the process of development, as the imperial examination system continued to be strengthened, it became more refined yet more rigid. Under the influence of the imperial examination system, Confucianism evolved into the study of imperial examination; education was alienated as Confucian imperial education.Learners regarded receiving education as an access to fame and fortune and Confucianism as meaning was turned into the means. Education was then made nothing but preparation for the imperial examination, and Confucianism, Confucian education and the imperial examination system fell into a passive position: the imperial examination system could not select personnel needed by the society, considered to be evil system and was eventually to be abolished; education was faced with the fate of being transformed, due to the failure of fostering political talents to promote social development; talents selected by the imperial examination system failed to carry forward Confucianism, which led to the loss of Confucian meaning and the doubt of the significance of Confucianism.In the final analysis, the influence of imperial examination system and Confucian education in the Qing Dynasty reveals the following results. Firstly, the system cannot take precedence over or alienate meaning. The system has the rationality and legitimacy only when the system maintains its meaning. Once the system oversteps its meaning, it is not conducive to the achievement of meaning nor the meaningful implementation of the system. The reinforcement of the imperial examination system with its extrusion on the meaning of Confucianism fully illustrates this point. Of course, the meaning itself should be justified, which means that it is conducive to the growth and improvement of people rather than the contrary. Secondly, education development needs institutional support, but the system cannot dominate education. The imperial examination system arrogated Confucianism and dominated education, which made the system itself, Confucianism, and education in a passive position and constituted a lesson of history. However, after the imperial era, this phenomenon is cyclical, making China's education at the risk of being alienated. People are still missing in education. In the new era, China's education should give due attention to this phenomenon.