为了变革而认识——黄仁宇对“洪武型财政”的病理分析

Knowing Is to Bring about Change:Ray Huang's Diagnosis of the"Hongwu-style Financial SSyvsstteemm"

黄仁宇对明代漕运和财政的研究,是其学术生涯的起点,也是其历史观念的基点。他将明太祖朱元璋建立的财政体制称为“洪武型财政”,认为这种体制长期僵化不变,甚至一直延续到20世纪。黄仁宇提出的“洪武型财政”,在社会上得到广泛传播和认同,但也受到一些专业学者的严厉批评。事实上,黄仁宇的史学研究与学院派大异其趣,也难以用学院派的标准去衡量。他的史学研究是从其身经战乱的独特经历生发出来的,从本质上说属于“为了变革而认识”的“政论史学”;而其所说的“洪武型财政”,可以视为一个突显明代以降财政以及社会和国家体制之“荒谬”的统摄性概念。尽管其立场与观点存在明显偏颇,但如果仔细体会黄仁宇对明代财政体制的具体评述,可能会发现不少“片面的深刻”之处,强烈的批判意识确实使他洞察到明代财政存在的一些体制性缺陷,他提出的一些具体论断也颇有启发性。

Ray Huang's research on water transportation and finance in the Ming Dynasty was not only the starting point of his academic career,but also the basis of his historical concepts.He called the financial system established by the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty of China Zhu Yuanzhang"Hongwu-style Financial System",arguing that this system had remained so rigid for such a long time that even continued into the twentieth century.Huang's"Hongwu-style Financial System"has been gained a wide popularity and accepted by non-academic audiences,but it has also been severely criticized by some professional scholars.In fact,his historical research follows an approach quite different from that of the professional scholars.It is difficult to measure it by standards of professional studies.His historical research was born out of his unique experience of war and chaos.In essence,it belongs to the"historiography of political commentaries"with"knowing is to bring about change";and his"Hongwu-style Financial System"can be regarded as a representative case highlighting the"absurdity"of the Ming dynasty's financial system and its social and political system.His position and views are obviously biased,if we carefully examine his specific comments on the financial system of the Ming dynasty,we may find many"profound but one-sided"views.His strong critical thinking allows him to identify some institutional flaws in the financial system of the dynasty,and some of his conclusions are still quite enlightening to scholars today.