晚清民初士大夫家庭中的男性家長：以曾國藩、王闓運、譚延闓為例

Male Heads of Literati Families in Late Qing and Early Republican China: A Case Study of Zeng Guofan, Wang Kaiyun, and Tan Yankai

孫慧敏(Huei-Min Sun)

《近代中國婦女史研究》 22期 (2013/12) Pp. 1-64

摘要

本文以晚清民初三位留下豐富居家活動紀錄的湖南長沙籍士大夫－曾國藩（1811－1872)、王闓運（1833－1916）與譚延闓（1880－1930）為例，透過仔細梳理他們如何獲致「一家之主」的地位，以及他們如何界定「一家」的範疇，討論19世紀至20世紀初，士大夫家庭男性家長的地位與權力所經歷的微妙變化。科舉功名這一男性專屬的能力指標，是男性士人獲取、鞏固其家庭地位與權力的關鍵，它有時甚至可能凌駕年輩權威。不過，由於科舉制度實際上也是中央政府從各地吸收菁英人才的機制，許多士人在獲得高級功名之後，不得不與父母、兄弟乃至妻子、兒女別居，從而造成「家」的實質分化，或使他們必須透過代理人來執行家長的權力。健在的直系尊長是凝聚家庭意識的重要力量。曾國藩、王闓運與譚延闓雖都對世代兄弟同居共財的生活形態存在深淺不一的嚮往，最後還是不得不屈從於現實，與自己的伯叔、兄弟別居異財。此一現象顯示，早在新文化運動以前，大家庭的結構與生活形態已面臨存續危機，即使是依然懷抱敬宗收族理想、憧憬數代同堂生活的士大夫，亦能心安理得地處理分家事宜。

關鍵字

家庭史 ； 科舉制度 ； 湖南 ； 父子 ； 繼承 ； 分家

並列摘要

This article explores how Zeng Guofan (1811-1872), Wang Kaiyun (1833-1916), and Tan Yankai (1880-1930) obtained the status and power of family head, and how they defined the boundaries of the families they governed. The three men were all natives of Changsha (a prefecture of Hunan province) and came from newly rising literati families. By scrutinizing the abundant record s of family life they preserved, this article constitutes a microhistory that represents the subtle changes of the status and power of the male family head in late Qing and early Republican China. The examination degrees conferred by the Qing government helped the young literati to enhance their status and strengthen their influence in their families. Sometimes, this challenged the authority of seniority. However, most higher degree holders had to leave their homes in the course of their official careers. They therefore could practice their patriarchal powers only on those family members who lived with them or attempt to govern the whole large family through agents. The living lineal elders were a force for consolidating family consciousness. Influenced by Confucian ethics and with long-lived parents, Zeng Guofan, Wang Kaiyun, and Tan Yankai did their best to maintain a harmonious large family, even after the deaths of their parents. However, the complexity of the relationships in a large family and social-economic conditions forced them to abandon the large family ideal. This indicates that obstacles to preserving the structure and lifestyle of large families had appeared even before the anti-traditionalists began to attack the large family system during the New Culture Movement of the 1910s.

並列關鍵字

family history ； civil examination ； Hunan ； father and son ； succession ； inheritance

參考文獻

易家鉞、羅敦偉，《中國家庭問題》（上海：泰東圖書局，1929 年 4 版），頁 1-2, 6-7, 9。

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