家产制、理性化与中国传统社会的停滞问题——重审韦伯理性主义考察的进路

Patrimonial Bureaucracy,Rationalization and the Problem of Stagnation of Ancient China

无论是韦伯还是他的解释者施路赫特都强调中国儒教在世俗社会中的理性化特征,但是,这种理性主义之所以没能增长到一种现代理性主义的层次,辄因为它的人格化即人身依赖性。韦伯强调的"理性化"除了一个基础性的"计算"(成本核算取向)之外,在政治统治领域,他特别关注的是官僚制的吏治主义理性和法律的形式化理性,而韦伯认为这正是传统中国所不足的。在韦伯看来,中国传统伦理造就了政治关系中的忠诚,但是,并没有将它推向现代的政治官僚制形态,这当然又是这种伦理观念中的非专业化和等级化造成的。李伯重近年分析中国没有发展出近代资本主义,认为它没有在中国发生是必然的,虽然他认为在英国发生不具有必然性,但是,欧洲的资本主义的变革则是必然的。如果假定这个必然性则可以说,在理性的入世进取精神之外,法律体系的理性化应该是我们关心的核心问题。

Both Weber and his interpreter Schluchter emphasized the feature of rationalization of Chinese Confucianism in the secular society,but the reason why this rationalism did not grow to a level of modern rationalism because of its personalization in mutual relations.In addition to a basic calculation(cost accounting orientation),Weber stressed the rationalization.In the field of political governance,he paid special attention to the bureaucratic rationality and the formal rationality of the law,which Weber believed were almost totally lacking in traditional China.In Weber’s opinion,traditional Chinese ethics created loyalty in political relations,but it did not push it into modern political bureaucracy,which was,of course,caused by the non-specialization and hierarchy in this ethical Concept.In recent years,Li Bozhong analyzes that China did not develop modern capitalism and believes that it was inevitable not to have happened in China.Although Li Bozhong believes that it was not inevitable to have happened in Britain,the reform of capitalism in Europe was inevitable.If we assume this inevitability,we could say that the rationalization of the legal system should be the core issue we care about besides the rational spirit of enterprise.