漢娜‧莫爾（Hannah More, 1745-1833）的教育與慈善事業

The Educational and Philanthropy Work of Hannah More (1745-1833)

姚涵之(Yao Han-Zhi)

指導教授 ： 林美香

國立政治大學/文學院/歷史學系/碩士(2018年)

https://doi.org/10.6814/THE.NCCU.Hist.007.2018.A04

摘要

本文以18世紀英國重要女性作家、慈善家和活動家漢娜‧莫爾（Hannah More, 1745-1833）為研究核心。莫爾生活的英國處在法國大革命的影響下，法國大革命使激進主義思潮出現在英國社會。激進主義者們嚴厲批判英國社會體制，他們的作品在社會中下階層廣為流傳，造成英國傳統權貴階層的不安。莫爾保守且熱心社會公共事務，希望透過作品和慈善事業，維持社會秩序的安穩。她希望藉由倡導菁英女性參與慈善，來安撫底層民眾的不滿，使他們安於現有生活，避免英國出現暴力革命。因此，莫爾的早期作品集中討論菁英女性教育，認為菁英女性應與男性共同負擔社會責任，解決社會問題，但教育體系不但無法教導女性承擔社會責任，反而助長浮誇虛榮的不良風氣，因此她倡導改革女性教育。莫爾不止積極參與討論公共事務，更親身投入慈善事業，與妹妹深入偏僻的門迪普山區，為底層勞工開辦十所主日學校，帶領勞工閱讀《聖經》、建立女性俱樂部、舉行門迪普聚會，改善門迪普地區人民的生活水準。
但莫爾的作品和慈善事業引發學者的爭議，一些學者指出，莫爾意圖維持現有社會的性別和階級秩序，因此批評她是父權社會的共謀，並指出她的慈善事業也是偽善的。本文希望以莫爾1780年至1820年間的作品和社會活動為研究核心，重新審視莫爾的教育主張與慈善事業，指出莫爾試圖在不挑戰既有社會秩序的情況下，確實地讓女性得以藉由慈善活動，而有更多參與公共事務的機會，提升了女性社會地位。她的主日學校，不僅提高當地識字率，也在物質和信仰方面改善了民眾生活，以後世觀之，她是當時大眾教育的先驅。故本文認為，保守性與進步性在莫爾身上並存，且相互融合、作用，因此莫爾這個人物值得學者重新認知。

關鍵字

漢娜‧莫爾 ； 激進主義 ； 女性教育 ； 主日學校 ； 慈善 ； 英國

並列摘要

This research focuses on Hannah More, an important women writer, philanthropist, activist in eighteenth-century Britain. At that time, British society was impacted by the French Revolution and radicalism. Radicals in eighteenth-century criticized the social order of British society. Their books and pamphlets were popular among the middle and working class, which triggering anxiety among traditional elites. More was conservative and keen on public issues, she hoped to sustain the social order through her work and philanthropic activities. She proposed that elite women should participate in philanthropic activities, to appease the poor people, making them to be content with their life. More hoped to prevent revolution. Therefore, her early works were focused on elite women’s education, she argued that both men and women should take social responsibilities, and tackle social problems. However, More also argued that the existing education system for women is defective, which not only failed to teach women to take social responsibility, but also encouraged an unpleasant ethos of vanity. Therefore, she advocated reforming women’s education.
More was not only actively involved in discussing public affairs, but also invested in philanthropy. She and her younger sister went into the remote Mendip Hills area, and founded ten Sunday schools for the poor workers, where she taught them to read the Bible. She also established some women’s clubs, and held Mendip Feast annually, all these projects were attempted to improve the lives of the poor workers in Mendip Hills.
However, More’s works and philanthropic activities sparked controversy among scholars. Some scholars pointed out that More intends to maintain the gender and class order of the existing society. Therefore, they criticized her as a conspirator of the patriarchal society, and they pointed out that her philanthropic activities were hypocritical as well.
This research will re-examine More’s educational viewpoint and philanthropic activities from 1780 to 1820, and to point out that though More did not willing to challenge the existing social order, she still attempted to enable women to participate in public issues through philanthropic works, which eventually promoted women’s social status. On the other hand, her Sunday schools not only improved the local literacy rate, but also improved the poor’s lives. She was a pioneer of mass education at that time. Therefore, this research will show that that conservatism and progressiveness coexisted in More, and they were mutually integrated and affected. As a result, Hannah More deserves a re-recognition by scholars.

並列關鍵字

Hannah More ； Radicalism ； Women’s education ； Sunday schools ； Philanthropy ； British

參考文獻

參考文獻

史料

Anonymous. The Governess; or, the Boarding School Dissected. London: The Female Academy, 1785.

Burke, Edmund. Reflections on the Revolution in France. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2003.

Burton, John. Lectures on Female Education and Manners. London: Printed for J. Milliken, 1794.