文化传统与国家形构——从《收刀入鞘:武士阶层与近世日本的缔造》谈起

Cultural Tradition and State Formation: On The Taming of the Samurai

历史社会学经典研究多立足于西方经验,少有对东方社会的深入研究,但作为暴力手段的集中化和独占化,国家构建过程与特定的文化资源和历史脉络有着千丝万缕的联系。因此,非西方社会的文化传统与国家形构之间的关系应当受到应有的重视。池上英子的《收刀入鞘:武士阶层与近世日本的缔造》通过对日本从中世封建社会转型到中央集权国家的社会过程的研究,尤其是这段时期的武士名誉文化、暴力独占与国家形构之间错综复杂的关系,发展出独特的分析概念和比较分析方法。这不仅挑战了西方中心主义的固化思维,而且推动了东方社会的比较历史研究。

Classics in historical sociology tend to be based on Western experiences and in-depth investigations of the East are rare. However, as a process of the centralization and monopolization of coercion, state formation has intricate connections with specific cultural sources and historical contexts. Therefore, the relationship between non-Western cultural traditions and state formation should receive due attention. The Taming of the Samurai, by Eiko Ikegami, examines the social process of transition from a feudal society in the medieval period to a centralized state in the modern period in Japan, and in particular the complex relationships among the honor-seeking culture of the samurai, the monopoly of coercion, and state formation, and thereby develops unique analytical concepts and comparative methods. This volume not only challenges Western-centric stereotypes, but also pushes forward comparative and historical studies of oriental societies.