家与韦伯的比较历史社会学--以《中国的宗教》为例

Family and Max Weber’s Comparative Historical Sociology:Exampled by the Religion of China

普遍主义比理性主义更适合韦伯对现代资本主义的界定。作为普遍主义的对立面的特殊主义的宿主是作为自然状态的"家",如何理解和处理"家",影响一种文明的性格及其同现代资本主义的距离。韦伯的文明比较,是以比较历史社会学作为方法,一方面基于欧洲经验搭建具有普遍历史意义的分析框架,另一方面以"家"为切入点进入作为历史个体的具体文明,由此既把握历史个体的实质性格,又使文明比较成为可能。"家"是儒教文明想象和实践伦理、信仰、政治、社会、法律和经济秩序的总体性范畴,其与家产官僚制的内在关联是韦伯理解儒教文明的基本线索。韦伯由此不仅从内部把握了儒教文明的基本性格,也从外部暗示了走出封建郡县之辨的必要性,更为可靠的文明比较提供了范例。

Compared to rationalism, universalism is more appropriate for defining modern capitalism in Weber’s sense. Family is the host of specialism. How to understand and deal with"family"affects the features of a civilization and its distance from modern capitalism. Max Weber’s civilization comparison is based on comparative historical sociology. On the one hand, Weber built an analytical framework of universal history according to European civilization. On the other hand, Weber used"family"as an entry to the specific civilizations as historical cases. In this way, Weber not only grasped the substantive characteristics of historical cases but also made a comparative analysis of civilizations possible. In Confucianism’s ideal and practice,"family"is a grand category of ethical, ideological, political, social, legal, and economic orders. The intrinsic connection between family and the patrimonial bureaucracy is the basis for Weber to understand Confucianism and its political practice. Using this perspective, Weber grasped the essential characteristic of Confucianism. Furthermore, Weber implied that we should go beyond the debate of"feudalism/the system of prefectures and counties". His work provided a successful example for comparative historical analysis of civilizations.