民国时期的灾害与巫术救荒

民国时期频繁的自然灾害,加剧了社会的动荡,也极大地削弱了社会的抗灾能力。面对无情的灾害,民间仍然盛行巫术救荒。探究其原因主要有:灾害频频发生,社会动荡不安,民众把希望寄托于某种神秘力量的支持;社会生产力发展缓慢,科学技术不发达,民众受教育程度低,遇有天灾,人们就求助于超自然的神灵;中国传统社会形成的对神灵的信仰已编织进广大民众的生活,成为潜藏在传统社会里的仪式性、符号性的交往和互动方式;政府通过祭祀鬼神的仪式,宣传天命论,用祈神保佑来转移民众的不满情绪,使现存社会秩序合法化和神圣化。

Disaster and Relief with Sorcery

Disaster happened frequently in the Republic of China(1911-1949). Disaster intensified social turbulence and weakened people'resistance to disaster. Sorceries were still the vogue of the day. Why did sorcery exist? There were some important reasons: People had no ability except depending on mysterious strength. During the Republic of China, productive force was weak, science and technology was undeveloped, and the level of people'education was very low. So people believed divinities and sorceries. It was traditional ideas and usual way to disaster to turn to divinities for help. Government attempted to keep current social order by sorcery.