明代皇帝的修省与罪己
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摘要
明朝皇帝的修省活动较以往历代更为频繁,成化以后表现尤其明显,已经发展成为一种常规化的政策反思手段。皇帝修省包括因自然灾害或天象异常而进行的消极的应对式修省,以及日常化的、为主动求过进行的积极式修省,修省范围只限于干天合之事,并不为人事而举。当修省不足以显示反思之诚意时,即颁布罪己诏书,这是皇帝反思活动的极致表现。明朝皇帝的修省和罪己行为反映了儒家圣王之责任担当的意义,具有弥祸、祈庥的宗教意味,也是安抚臣民、调整政策的承诺。明朝皇帝和士大夫对待修省行为的态度体现出帝制体系内君主与士大夫政治角色、理念之间的契合之处。修省与罪己作为一种内在的反省机制,对君德、君责的履行提出了要求和保障,使君主之行为具有极限,但这种对君权的限制仍相当朦胧。
The Ming emperors conducted critical meditation and issued self-blaming decrees more frequently than the emperors of the previous dynasties.Especially after Chenghua(1465-1488) period,it had become a routine method of policy introspection and adjustment.The direct reasons for holding critical meditation might be natural calamity,abnormal astronomical phenomena such passive things,or,even simply for active self-cultivation.In most cases,critical meditations were held for natural or astronomical events,rarely for social issues.When an issue was so serious that can not be dealt with by holding critical meditation,the emperor would issue a self-blaming decree to assume responsibility,which was the extreme conduct that an emperor would do in such situations.The emperors' critical meditation and self-blaming decrees reflect Confucian consciousness of monarchy responsibility.They were expected to have the religious function of eliminating disaster and blessing.In addition,they represented the promises of the emperors to people for better policies.In a close examination of the attitudes of the Ming emperors and the scholar officials to the above mentioned issues,the compatibility between emperors and scholar officials in terms of political roles and stand is embodied.As internal introspection processes,the critical meditation and the issuing of self-blaming decrees constituted a common expectation and protection of the virtue and responsibility of the emperors,which limited the behaviors of the emperors,although the limitation was in itself limited.
The Ming emperors conducted critical meditation and issued self-blaming decrees more frequently than the emperors of the previous dynasties.Especially after Chenghua(1465-1488) period,it had become a routine method of policy introspection and adjustment.The direct reasons for holding critical meditation might be natural calamity,abnormal astronomical phenomena such passive things,or,even simply for active self-cultivation.In most cases,critical meditations were held for natural or astronomical events,rarely for social issues.When an issue was so serious that can not be dealt with by holding critical meditation,the emperor would issue a self-blaming decree to assume responsibility,which was the extreme conduct that an emperor would do in such situations.The emperors' critical meditation and self-blaming decrees reflect Confucian consciousness of monarchy responsibility.They were expected to have the religious function of eliminating disaster and blessing.In addition,they represented the promises of the emperors to people for better policies.In a close examination of the attitudes of the Ming emperors and the scholar officials to the above mentioned issues,the compatibility between emperors and scholar officials in terms of political roles and stand is embodied.As internal introspection processes,the critical meditation and the issuing of self-blaming decrees constituted a common expectation and protection of the virtue and responsibility of the emperors,which limited the behaviors of the emperors,although the limitation was in itself limited.
引文
①相关研究有叶依能:《明代荒政述论》,载《中国农史》,1996年第4期;周致元:《明代君臣祷雨的宗教阐释》,载《安徽大学学报》,2002年第1期;赵昭:《明代灾荒的救治》,郑州大学2002年硕士学位论文;胡卫伟:《明初自然灾害与政府对策》,载《肇庆学院学报》,2005年第6期。
①此类事例很多,参见《明武宗实录》卷5,弘治十八年九月丙戌;《明世宗实录》卷19,嘉靖元年十月庚辰;《明世宗实录》卷359,嘉靖二十九年四月己亥等条。
③邓拓先生统计认为,明代共发生水灾196次,旱灾174次,地震165次,雹灾112次,风灾97次,蝗灾94次,歉饥93次,疫灾64次,霜雪灾16次,共计1 011次。见邓拓:《中国救荒史》,北京:北京出版社,1998年,第34页。毛佩奇先生统计得出,明代水灾182次,雨灾41次,旱灾129次,饥歉138次,蝗灾51次,冰雹90次,地震165次,风灾97次,疫灾64次,霜雪灾16次,总计达千余次。见毛佩奇:《中国社会通史.明代卷》,太原:山西教育出版社,1998年,第36页。这些是根据不同的资料系统而进行的粗略统计,故具体数字上会有一些出入,不过都展现了明朝灾异现象频繁的一个大致情况。
①据王保顶统计,两汉皇帝因灾异而下的罪己诏多达40多次。王保顶:《汉代灾异观略论》,载《学术月刊》,1997年第5期。
[1]俞琰.周易集说:卷十三[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[2]熊良辅.周易本义集成:卷六[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[3]明宪宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[4]何孟春.何文简疏议:卷九[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[5]明世宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[6]明太祖实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[7]马文升.马端肃奏议:卷九[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[8]明太祖宝训[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[9]张廷玉.明史[M].北京.中华书局.1974.
[10]黄训.名臣经济录:卷三[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[11]明英宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[12]明武宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[13]明神宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[14]崇祯长编[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[15]崇祯实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[16]王祎.王忠文公集:卷四[M]//陈子龙.明经世文编.北京:中华书局影印本,1962:34,35.
[17](美)牟复礼,(英)崔瑞德.剑桥中国明代史[M]北京:中国社会科学出版社,1992:217,218.
[18]俞汝楫.礼部志稿:卷四[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[19]周怡.讷谿奏疏[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[20]邹辑.三殿灾请修时政疏[M]//御选明臣奏议.文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[21]明孝宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[22]桂萼.文襄公奏议[M].四库全书存目丛书本.
[23]李遂.李襄敏公奏议[M].四库全书存目丛书本.
[24]明宣宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[25]张鹵.皇明嘉隆疏抄:卷六[M].四库全书存目丛书本.
①此类事例很多,参见《明武宗实录》卷5,弘治十八年九月丙戌;《明世宗实录》卷19,嘉靖元年十月庚辰;《明世宗实录》卷359,嘉靖二十九年四月己亥等条。
③邓拓先生统计认为,明代共发生水灾196次,旱灾174次,地震165次,雹灾112次,风灾97次,蝗灾94次,歉饥93次,疫灾64次,霜雪灾16次,共计1 011次。见邓拓:《中国救荒史》,北京:北京出版社,1998年,第34页。毛佩奇先生统计得出,明代水灾182次,雨灾41次,旱灾129次,饥歉138次,蝗灾51次,冰雹90次,地震165次,风灾97次,疫灾64次,霜雪灾16次,总计达千余次。见毛佩奇:《中国社会通史.明代卷》,太原:山西教育出版社,1998年,第36页。这些是根据不同的资料系统而进行的粗略统计,故具体数字上会有一些出入,不过都展现了明朝灾异现象频繁的一个大致情况。
①据王保顶统计,两汉皇帝因灾异而下的罪己诏多达40多次。王保顶:《汉代灾异观略论》,载《学术月刊》,1997年第5期。
[1]俞琰.周易集说:卷十三[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[2]熊良辅.周易本义集成:卷六[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[3]明宪宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[4]何孟春.何文简疏议:卷九[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[5]明世宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[6]明太祖实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[7]马文升.马端肃奏议:卷九[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[8]明太祖宝训[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[9]张廷玉.明史[M].北京.中华书局.1974.
[10]黄训.名臣经济录:卷三[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[11]明英宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[12]明武宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[13]明神宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[14]崇祯长编[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[15]崇祯实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[16]王祎.王忠文公集:卷四[M]//陈子龙.明经世文编.北京:中华书局影印本,1962:34,35.
[17](美)牟复礼,(英)崔瑞德.剑桥中国明代史[M]北京:中国社会科学出版社,1992:217,218.
[18]俞汝楫.礼部志稿:卷四[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[19]周怡.讷谿奏疏[M].文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[20]邹辑.三殿灾请修时政疏[M]//御选明臣奏议.文渊阁四库全书影印本.
[21]明孝宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[22]桂萼.文襄公奏议[M].四库全书存目丛书本.
[23]李遂.李襄敏公奏议[M].四库全书存目丛书本.
[24]明宣宗实录[M].台北:“中央研究院历史语言研究所”校印本.
[25]张鹵.皇明嘉隆疏抄:卷六[M].四库全书存目丛书本.
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