山人与晚明社会

作为一个社会阶层的山人在晚宋一度活跃。明初山人敛迹 ,抵明中叶以后复演为极盛。晚明山人以能诗为特征 ,以游历于达官富室为谋生手段。山人在晚明的盛行是由于经济繁荣条件下对于高雅文化的普遍追求、政治黑暗、科举入仕道路的壅塞、佛道思想流行造成的出世心理和心学影响下的任情适性的士风 ,以及儒生与文人的混合。作为一个寄生的阶层 ,山人之主流的社会行为为谋食所需而污。山人之盛反映了知识分子脱离传统儒家人生道路的倾向。这种倾向在文学上对晚明飘逸闲适的文风颇有影响

Shanren and the Society of Late Ming Dynasty

Shanren as a social group became very popular during the late Ming period. They were characterized with the capability of composing poems and were commonly guests to high-level officials and rich people. The popularity of Shanren was related to the common quest of elegant styles, the economic prosperity, political corruption, the disorder of the Civil Service System, Buddhist and Taoist influences, and the mixture of Confucians with literary people. As a dependent social group, although there were some honorable members among the Shanren, the main stream of them conducted non-respectable activities. The popularity of Shanren reflects the existence of an intellectual tendency abandoning the Confucian life styles. In literary history, nevertheless, Shanren contributed to the development of an relax and free expression styles which was significant during the late Ming times.