阿维尼翁兄弟会与中世纪晚期法国基层互助

Confraternities of Avignon and Grassroots Mutual Assistance of France in the Late Middle Ages

14—15世纪,基层民间组织兄弟会在法国城市中普遍兴起,标志着法国市民社会的形成。彼时法国市民社会形成的基础是,城市基层社会秩序被中世纪晚期危机打破之后,非精英群体有自发、自主凝合基层社会以应对危机的需求。兄弟会的自治体系是市民社会运转的基本方式,它激发了社会活力并确保社会有效运转。兄弟会对外的慈善救济和内部的互帮互助,构成了市民社会最重要的职能,弥补了政治和社会制度的缺位,增强了基层社会应对危机的能力。

In the 14 th and 15 th centuries, the grassroots association of confraternity fl ourished in French cities, which marked the emergence of a civil society in France. A civil society came into being largely because non-elite groups needed to stand together to cope with the social crises in the late Middle Ages, which had damaged the social order in cities. The self-governance system of confraternities provided a basic mode for the operation of civil society, unleashing social vitality and ensuring the eff ective functioning of society. Under such a system, confraternities mainly provided charitable relief for others and practiced mutual assistance within themselves. These two functions remedied the defects in political and social systems and enhanced the capabilities of the society at primary level to cope with crises.