从朋党到党社——明代党争之浅见

明代党争之盛行始自万历,其后才有东林、阉党之争,乃至复社运动。此前洪武、永乐所谓诸党,即以胡蓝之案、建文遗臣为“奸党”,乃是出于维护皇权专制需要的加罪之词,其实并无朋党之实。明代朋党之兴起,实因明中后期皇权专制之衰落,士大夫以结党而求发展势力以自固。弘治二年(1489年)两京御史案以治朋党为立案之本,当为明代党争之始,这在一定程度上遏制了朋党的势力。万历时期党争勃兴,此后朋党政治渐成明廷政治主流。此时兴起的东林党之所以不同于中国历史上的传统朋党,在于其独具的政治主张而提出士大夫的社会责任,它虽未形成社会改革的政治主张,但反对政治腐败和宦官当政的立场还是得到民众的支持。东林党的意义不仅在于他们的政治主张,更在于其所形成的士大夫群体这一政治集团。这种情况到复社时期更加突出,复社的立场与东林党一脉相承,但复社异于东林党之处则在于他们的组织方法与规程,因此崇祯五年复社虎丘大会才会盛况空前。复社运动影响深远,中国近代党会实与明末的结社有着密不可分的关系。

From Cabal to Factional Clique ——My Own Remark on Factional Strife in the Ming Dynasty

The factional strife rose in Ming Dynasty actually because of comedown of the autarchy of imperial power in Mid-Late Ming Dynasty,the scholar-bureaucrats consolidated themselves through forming clique to develop themselves.The 2nd year of Hongzhi(1489 A.D.) the case of the dual censors was the basis to register to control the factional strife,that was the beginning of factional strife in Ming Dynasty,and that kept the force of the factions within limit.Donglin Association rose at this time,it was different from the traditional factions in Chinese history,it rested with its alone political opinion and advanced the social responsibility of the scholar-bureaucrats.This situation more stood out in the period of Fushe but Fushe's rules and method were different from Donglin's,therefore the grand occasion of the convention held by Fushe was unprecedented at Huqiu in the 5th year of Chongzhen.The influence of Fushe Movement is far-reaching,there exist close relation between the factions and associations in Chinese modern times and the fractions in late Ming Dynasty.