略论宗法结构对家族(间)行为与乡里自治的同构性影响

Isomorphism of Families & Social Units in Ancient China in Politics on Perspective of Zongfa(宗法)

家族是古代中国的基本伦理单元,具有血缘流转与权力交接两个主要功能,并体现出鲜明的排他性特征。家族延续所依赖的宗法原则,逻辑地产生了利用亲缘身份从政治中获得力量和实际好处的寻租空间。依据家族的血缘网络,古代政治构建了"社稷"结构,但这一由"家族"与"社稷"嵌套而成的结构始终没有成熟的制度依托,且造成了家族(间)行为的规范与乡里(基层)治理的缺位。相较于以制度填补真空的现代做法,古代中国的"家族"通过前期的自发聚集和后期的法定组织这两类形式,逐渐演变为地域性的自治组织"宗族",以地域与谱系共同作为准入门槛;而内含的"宗法制度"、"宗法秩序"更与"宗法精神"一同构成了古代中国特有的宗法政治文化,对古代中国的家族治理与乡里治理产生了同时同因的维系作用。总的来说,在政治层级结构意义上考察宗族,在政治文化意义上考察宗法,对理解作为政治集体的家族如何共同行动具有一定意义。

Fundament to Chinese traditional ethics,"Family"the unit simultaneously functions in both mechanisms of property inheritance and power transferring,within the characteristic of being inward and exclusive.Furthermore,the code of patriarchal clan system,which is crucial to prolonging particular"family"being,has also initiated more probabilities of privilege rent seeking via familial identity logically.Regarding that blood network in biology,traditional Chinese politics promotes the Sheji(社稷)framework.However,this framework,being nested by"Family"and"Sheji",has been frequently in want of institution.It indubitably implicates the absence of efficient regulation between families,or effective administering onto social units.But comparing with a more contemporary way of"covering power vacancy within institution","Family"in ancient China inclined to expand itself to a more solid regional"Clan"structure with precious autonomy,by primitive population aggregation and advanced legislative settlement."Clan"in China comprises of two key elements:district and pedigree.Within those prerequisites,Order,and Spirit of Chinese Zongfa(宗法)system in trinity could improve that intricate traditional political culture,for Zongfa behave homogeny of family regulation and clan administering.In conclusion,it is indispensable in apprehending the isomorphism of family and clan via explication to patriarchal clan system and Zongfa in reviewing history.