先秦时期江南地区“生子不举”现象初探

A Study on Abandonment of Children in Jiangnan Area During the Pre-Qin Period

“生子不举”是先秦社会一直存在的痼疾,这一习俗在江南地区尤为盛行。受宗教信仰和礼仪习惯的影响,自新石器时代,就有以幼童作为“人牲人殉”的风俗,殷商甲骨文中发现有“弗子”行为,传世文献中还记载有“食首子”的行为。春秋时期,随着宗族力量的强大,“生子不举”又多与父母、家族的利益相关联。战国末期以后,因经济压力、战争频繁、天灾不断等原因,不举子的记载逐渐增多。先秦时期江南地区“生子不举”的现象,在秦汉以后尽管已受到法律的明文禁止,但却未能真正杜绝,相关现象依然时有发生,逐渐演变成为一个较严重的社会问题。

Abandonment of children is a chronic disease in the pre-Qin period,this custom is especially prevalent in the Jiangnan area.Influenced by religious beliefs and etiquette habits,since the Neolithic Age,there has been a custom of taking young children as"human sacrifices",the behavior of"abandoning children"has been found in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Yin and Shang Dynasties.The behavior of eating the first son is also recorded in the handed down documents.During the Spring and Autumn Period,with the power of the clan,abandoned children are mostly related to the interests of their parents and families.After the end of the Warring States period,the records of abandoned children gradually increased due to economic pressure,frequent wars,and continuous natural disasters.The phenomenon of"abandonment of children"in Jiangnan area during the pre-Qin period is not truly eradicated after the Qin and Han dynasties,despite being explicitly prohibited by law.The related phenomenon still occurrs from time to time and gradually evolves into a more serious social problem.