鲁迅与北洋政府时期的教育部社会教育司——社会生活史的视角

Lu Xun and the Social Education Department of Ministry of Education in Beiyang Period:A Perspective of Social Life History

1912年,在蔡元培等人力主下教育部首设社会教育司,留日学生周树人在旧友许寿裳举荐下成为该司职员,8月被任命为教育部佥事兼社会教育司第一科科长,任职时间长达14年之久。从社会生活史角度,对鲁迅在社会教育司主要工作及社会活动进行历史梳理,结果发现:(一)社会教育司的超稳定人员格局为周树人营造了熟人社会,教育部的丰厚薪水为其及家人提供了衣食无忧的生活保障,较为宽松的上班制度和省亲制度为其提供充裕的闲暇和创作情感基础;(二)社会教育司职掌范围为周树人提供长袖善舞的重要舞台,古迹善本收藏、美术展览会、京师图书馆以及小说改良等均相得益彰,并为其搭建了重要的社会关系网络;(三)社会教育司的独特设置,加深了他对国民品性的思考,促进他将丰富的创作素材转换为小说、杂文。该研究通过大量第一手史料分析,说明鲁迅正是借助社会教育司这个平台,使得故园绍兴的素材一点点演变成对整个社会现状的理解和期待,狂人、孔乙己、闰土、阿Q成为中国民众的缩影、符号和表征,补充并修正之前学界对社会教育司这个历史存在及鲁迅官场的臆断和误读。

This study examined Lu Xun’s 14 years’work as director of the First Section with Social Education Department,established in 1912 as a sub-department of the Ministry of Education by the auspices of Cai Yuanpei and other scholars,upon the recommendation of his friend Xu Shouchang after Lu Xun’s return from Japan.From the perspective of social life history,it concluded that:(1)The stability of the staff structure in the Social Education Department formed a society of Lu Xun’s acquaintances,the salary sustained the worry-free life for his family,and the flex working time and holiday policy ensured adequate time for him to produce new works;(2)its work scope,including ancient books collection,arts exhibition,Jingshi Library maintenance and novels rewriting,helped establish a crucial social network;and(3)the unique function of the Social Education Department urged him to think over the national characters in depth and motivated him to transfer his in-depth thinking into novels and essays.This research used abundant first-hand historical documents to justify the arguments that it was the working experience in the Social Education Department that promoted Lu Xun to transform the materials collected from Shaoxing into his understanding and hopes of the then society,symbolized and represented by the heroes like Kuang Ren,Kong Yiji and A Q to be depicted in his works.It further revised the previous conclusions on the role of the working experiences in Lu Xun’s life.