“君要臣死，臣不敢不死”考论

“君要臣死，臣不敢不死”这一观念，最初见于明代晚期。在随后的清代获得了广泛流传，多见于康熙至乾隆年间的小说和戏曲。“君要臣死．臣不敢不死”这一观念，分别经历了“君虽不惠．臣不敢不事君”、“君为臣纲”、“君虽不仁，臣不可以不忠”等观念的衍化历程。明清时期君权的无限膨胀，君主专制的绝对强化是此观念产生、流传的现实背景。

The Textual Criticism and Exposition of the Concept of "the Subject Has No Choice but to Stop Living When the Monarch Orders Him to Do That"

The concept of ＂the subject has no choice but to stop living when the monarch orders him to do that＂ appears in the novels of the latter part of the Ming Dynasty, and it comes into being with comprehensive basis of folk culture. The concept is more popular in the Qing Dynasty; it often appears in the novels and operas which were created during the time from Kangxi to Qianlong. The concept has its deep theoretical origins. From the pre-Qin days to its birth, it has undergone some related concepts as follows： ＂although the monarch is not benevolent, the subject daren＇t disobey the monarch＂, ＂the mon- arch is the principle of the subject＂, ＂although the monarch is not benevolent, the subject has to pledge loyalty to the monarch＂. During the Ming and Qing Dynasty, monarchical power was absolutely strengthened and infinitely intensified and it is the realistic background of the appearance and spread of the concept.