“大一统”视野下的袁世凯祀孔及其困局

Yuan Shikai’s Sacrifice to Confucius and His Dilemma from the Perspective of“the Great Unity”

以往学界讨论袁世凯祀孔多从其个人称帝与信仰危机的角度出发,若从“大一统”的视角进行观察,可呈现其新的历史面相。袁氏当国伊始,在争议声中将北京孔庙祀孔典礼纳入国家礼制,使之成为新“大一统”体制的重要一环。1914年9月28日,袁氏亲临孔庙,行礼如仪,场景肃然有序。袁氏祀孔虽有维系传统礼俗之名,但重在彰显其独掌国家治理大权的正统性、权威性与“治教合一”方略。由于袁氏在祀孔问题上始终回避民主共和理念,因而受到宗教界、国民党与新知识人的质疑与批判。其祀孔典礼虽连年举行,但终究无助于政治文明的进步。如何建设过渡时代的“大一统”体制,成为需要解决的国家治理制度问题。

In the past,the academic circle mainly discussed Yuan Shikai's sacrifice to Confucius from perspectives of the restoration of monarchy and belief crisis.If viewed from the perspective of“the Great Unity”,a new historical aspect can be revealed.In the early days of Yuan Shikai's reign,the sacrifice to Confucius in the Confucian Temple in Beijing was incorporated into the national etiquette system and identified as an important part of“the Great Unity”system under controversial circumstances.On September 28,1914,Yuan Shikai went to the Confucius Temple and held the ceremony in an orderly manner.Although the ceremony was held in the name of inheriting traditional rites and customs,its focus was to highlight the legitimacy and authority of Yuan Shikai's ruling and the strategy of“Union of Politics and Religion”.As Yuan Shikai always avoided the democratic and republican idea in the sacrifice to Confucius,he was questioned and criticized by the religious circle,the Kuomintang,and new intellectuals.Although the sacrifice to Confucius was held consecutively,it hardly contributed to the progress of political civilization.How to build“the Great Unity”system in the transitional era had become a problem of national governance system to be solved.