读书、养心与立品:晚明江南的士人生活

Study,Mind Cultivation and Morality Establishment:The Literati's Life in Late Ming Jiangnan

晚明的江南地区,曾经孕育了大量杰出的人物,于整个官绅生活世界中,有着广泛而重要的影响。除了科举制度的要求外,家庭或家族对于子孙的教育尤显重要。就士人生活的规划来说,科举是成为社会卓越分子或进入成功领域的一个途径与阶梯,藉此可望达到世俗社会认可的富与贵的目标。家庭文化教育的核心在读书进学,自然多与科举相关,也与政治生活、报效国家的期许有关,但大多还比较注意养心与立品。这不仅在地方上,而且在晚明以来的中国社会都有深远的影响。对这些层面做进一步的考察或分析,不仅有助于时代氛围的揭示,而且也有利于那种典范式历史记忆的廓清,观照出大历史进程中地方知识人的一些生活样貌。从江南出发,可以更好地认识传统时代以来中国的社会文化史与中国人的生活世界。

The late-Ming dynasty witnessed the springing up of prominent figures in Jiangnan,which had extensive and significant impacts on the lives of officials and gentry.A family or a clan played particularly important roles in its descendants’educations to help them meet the requirements of the civil service examinations.In the literati’s life plan,taking examinations was an approach to social elite or a ladder to success,through which they were possible to achieve the wealth and honorable status recognized by the general public.The cultural education in families was no wonder exam-oriented.But it was also morality-oriented,with the expectations of serving the country.It had a profound influence on the local society as well as the whole society since the late-Ming period.Further studies and analyses about these issues reveal the living atmosphere of the time and beyond,clarify the paradigm on historical memory,and help people better understand the Chinese world in Jiangnan.