士、商文化的衝突與調和－從廣告字紙看清代消費社會與文化史之一面相

清代廣告紙的形式，無論是包紙或招紙，內容上都是以文字敘述為主。此現象除了反映識字率的提高之外，更涉及到商業貿易的競爭加劇、仿冒與偽造之風盛行，尤其是在工商業發達的江南城市裡，故業者每每需強調其字號與商品的真，避免消費者誤認。然而，廣告字紙的實用性，卻與士紳所倡導的惜字觀念格格不入。隨著文昌帝君的信仰出現之後，勸惜字紙以求自己或子孫高中科舉的觀念逐漸在士大夫與文人間流行起來，到了清代之後形成了惜字會的組織，尤以江南地區為盛。因為廣告字紙內含文字又易遭拋棄，遂成為士紳改革的對象。因此，商人以謀利為動機而發展出的商業文化，和士人以科舉功名為目的的士人文化發生衝突。五口通商之後，大城市的工商業急速發展，商場上的競爭也愈加激烈，廣告字紙對業者推銷其產品而言更形重要，士、商文化的衝突也在此時期達到最高峰。同時士人的惜字觀念受外緣影響也造成內部變化，惜字的觀念不僅透過善書與戲曲等通俗文學開始逐漸普及民間大眾，惜字的功德也從強調子孫識字與科舉功名，轉變到發財與避禍的善報，由是惜字觀念被轉化成對生意經營也具有正面的作用。至此士、商之間對廣告字紙與惜字紙的觀念出現調和，也顯示了清代的商業競爭與消費主義對士紳宗教信仰的影響。

關鍵字

士商文化；廣告字紙；清代；惜字；消費社會

並列摘要

Qing period advertisements on wrapping paper and posters were largely textual, reflecting both the steady rise in literacy and the intensification of commercial competition. Merchants and producers in the commercially and culturally affluent Jiangnan region in particular increasingly depended on advertisements to convey the authenticity and high repute of their goods. At the same time, the textual bent of advertisements clashed with the cultural ideals of many gentry, who as part of the literary elite were dedicated to the lofty values espoused by Societies for Cherishing Written Characters (Xizihui, 惜字會) and objected to such usage of sacred script as blasphemy. These associations had emerged in reaction against the growing popularity of the Daoist Deity of Literature, Wenchang Dijun (文昌帝君). Tensions between the profit-oriented merchant culture and examination-focused gentry ideals further rose with the explosion of advertisements resulting from the commercial and industrial growth that followed the opening of treaty ports. However, as moral compendiums (shanshu, 善書) and dramas came to promote the concept of ＂cherishing written characters＂ among the lower orders of society, the focus of these exhortations shifted from examination success toward material wealth and personal well-being, thereby gradually incorporating the same merchant culture that had hitherto been castigated as morally corrupt.