论中国传统慈善事业的近代转型

慈善事业在中国有着悠久的历史,并在宋代以后尤其是明清时期日趋兴盛。对古代慈善事业施予最大影响的莫过于支配中国传统社会二千年之久的儒家思想。但中国古代慈善机构重在“收养”,这种理念和现实,在晚清发生了显著的变化。伴随西学东渐的浪潮,“教养兼施”的慈善理念开始出现,教养结合的慈善机构渐趋增多,中国的慈善事业开始由传统向近代转型。

The Transition of Traditional Chinese Charities to the Modern Style

Chinese charities, with a long history, became increasingly prosperous after the Song Dynasty, especially in the period of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Traditional Chinese charities were influenced greatly by Confucianism that had dominated traditional Chinese society for about 2000 years. Traditional charitable institutions focused on support, while the focus changed greatly in late Qing Dynasty. With the introduction of the Western culture, the charitable concept of both support and education came into being. As a result, charitable institutions providing both support and education increased, which indicates that traditional Chinese charities started its transition to the modern style.