晚清民初知識人社會角色的轉變——以1903-1927年的章士釗為例

Abstract

晚清民初時期是中國近代史的關鍵轉型期。在這個轉型過程中出現了許許多多的新式知識人試圖重新定位他們自身的社會位置和角色，其間更反映了他們對中國現代性的種種見解和想像。總結這些知識人們共同感知到的時代大問題是：「落後的中國如何轉而趕上甚至超越現代西方？」；而這個問題具體呈現在知識人身上即是他們如何對這個問題做出思考和行動的過程。本文集中討論的章士釗正是在此一理解脈絡下進行探究，並嘗試透過他的例子來說明晚清民初的中國知識人社會角色的轉變。章士釗在青年時期離開家鄉湖南，成為上海新式傳播媒體的參與者之一。1903年發生的「蘇報案」則是影響他一生的關鍵轉折。直到1920年代，章士釗多半以媒體知識人的社會角色發言論政，並憑著廣闊的人際網絡進而躍入政壇問政。在1910-1920年代許多事件和論戰，皆可或多或少地看見他的穿梭身影。尤其當章士釗在1920年代初期提出「以農立國」論後，引起不少討論和詰問，而這個問題也是往後數十年時時被知識人提起的重要論題。然而章士釗卻在1920年代後期慢慢地淡出全國範圍的言論影響力。其中顯現的不僅是他個人的困境，也可能是近代中國知識人的共同困境。

Among the research on the history of modern China, a core inquiry is the uniqueness of the Chinese modernity. The period from the late imperial to the early Republican China is the most significant intellectual transformation in modern China. In this transformative process, the new intellectuals initiated a lot of thoughts on the Chinese modernity. Zhang Shi-zhao, in this historical context, could be an appropriate example to understand how the Chinese intellectuals comprehended and interpreted the modernity of China. By applying the concept of “social role”, this research tries to represent the images of Zhang and his contemporaries in 1903-1927. The key idea of Zhang’s thought——“cultivating modern China on the foundation of agriculture”(yi nong li guo,以農立國)——sparked a controversy that should modern China be built on the foundation of agriculture or industry. According to this study, the issue actually reflects the China’s unique idea on “the advantage of the backwardness”. This idea reveals the faith that the backwardness of China would be transferred into a source of energy for modern China to chase even to transcend the modern West. In addition, we can grasp the intellectuals’ condition in modern China through examining Zhang’s dilemma between theory and practice. Furthermore, this dilemma encountered by him was also shared by all other Chinese intellectuals in his time.