What does Qian Zhongshu think of the imperial examination and the champion?

My impression is that before 1990s, the imperial examination system was rarely praised in China's general social concept. A classic example is that drama is always chosen as the title of Chinese textbooks. This is not accidental, but it reflects the basic attitude of China people towards the imperial examination system to a certain extent, and this influence is still in people's general concept. After the 1990s, mainly in academic circles, more attention was paid to the advantages of the imperial examination system and less to its disadvantages.

In a place where the system exists in a stable cycle for a long time, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, because human wisdom generally chooses good and follows. 1905, the imperial examination was replaced by the new education system, which also showed the historical end of this system itself, indicating that this system did more harm than good. This big judgment is generally not changed by small facts. The imperial examination was abolished by Duan Fang and Zhang Zhidong, who were precisely the most successful scholars in the imperial examination. They saw the general trend of history clearly. From the establishment of the imperial examination system in Sui and Tang Dynasties to the abolition of the imperial examination system in the late Qing Dynasty, the system itself has been changing in different periods for more than a thousand years, but it can't escape the fate of ending in the end. This is the result of the times and there is no way.

The most praised advantages of the imperial examination system are: first, it is relatively fair, which provides institutional guarantee for the equal upward flow of all Jinshi; Second, the educational method of integrating knowledge training with moral cultivation makes the sense of honor of scholars truly become an inner need. Qi Rushan once said in the book "The Name of China" that in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were fewer corrupt officials among the officials who came from Jinshi. Liu Yan, a famous figure in the Tang Dynasty, has a famous assertion that "if a scholar takes bribes, he will be abandoned in time, and fame is more important than profit, so many scholars will be cleared up; Although the official is clean, there is no glory in the end, and profit is more important than name, so he is greedy. " Wang Zeng, a famous minister in the Song Dynasty, made a famous observation about the officials who entered and left the country: "Those who enter the country must be ashamed of honesty; If it flows out, it will be fresh. "

In any case, after the abolition of the imperial examination, general historical observation still thinks that this choice conforms to the historical trend. The intention to seek benefits from the imperial examination is understandable, but the psychology of trying to save this system is inevitably pedantic.

Qian Zhongshu's judgment on the imperial examination system is very clear, and he thinks there are many absurdities in it. This is not to say that he doesn't know the benefits of this system in different periods and stages, but that he sees more disadvantages of this system. Qian Zhongshu never said that the imperial examination was good. In Talking about Art, he talked a lot about the improvement of his studies and career. His clear evaluation is: "in ancient times, scholars made meritorious deeds, so the skills of scholars were judged as two ways." Yue Juye, the way to enter the body; Learning is a lifetime thing. If you want to be a lifelong learner, you are ignorant of Confucianism; Or take learning as a career and bend it. " (On Records of Art, p. 353, Zhonghua Book Company)

1935, Qian Zhongshu chatted with Chen Shi in Suzhou, recorded as Shi Yu. Chen Shi's legacy is that he was born a juren. He said: "I don't know how many talents have spent their energy on the study of imperial examinations. It is nonsense to say that schools have risen and old schools have declined. The older generation must be scholars in order to concentrate on studying history. Even if you arrive early, it will be more than ten years in vain. English-Chinese arithmetic problems in school are more beneficial than stereotyped writing. Teachers and book lovers see the past easily, so it is arrogant to look at the older generation. In those days, such as snow begonia, beautiful beautiful society and so on. Today's high school talents do more than anything. Take the old lady as an example. She wandered around and worked in the pavilion, sacrificing herself for many years, but when she wanted to start writing, she was confused and had to re-examine some things. But it is a self-study without a teacher, and it also gets rid of the disadvantages of students' notes and otology. " (Shi Yu, page 42, China Social Sciences Press)

Qian Zhongshu's next comment here: "Of all the grandfathers I have seen, only Zhang is knowledgeable and admirable, but unfortunately there are not enough people in the school."

Qian Zhongshu also quoted Xu Zhen's "According to the World Cup", the first kind of "Seven Pine Gardens", saying, "The original interesting talents are not willing to pay attention to industry any more ... it is better to know how many talents God has given him. If you use one point for poetry, you will lose one point for industry; If you use one point in the painting, the temperature in the industry will be less; Spend more on the entertainment of guests and friends, and less in the industry. Therefore, talents can't be the first in life, which is this disease. " (Page 355) The meaning of this passage is exactly the same as that left by Chen Shi, which proves Qian Zhongshu's concept of imperial examination, and he brought this concept to Fortress Besieged and all his words.

Qian Zhongshu's view of doctor can be understood as another evaluation of imperial examination. He said that Fang Hung-chien had arrived in Europe: "In the fourth spring, he saw that there were only over 400 pounds left in the bank, and he planned to return to China in the summer. Mr. Fang also wrote to ask him if he had received his doctorate and when he would return to the East. He wrote back to talk about it and denounced the unrealistic title of doctor. Mr. Fang is no big deal, but his son is old and can no longer threaten his father's dignity; Then the letter said that I knew the title was useless and I would never force my son, but Manager Zhou paid a lot and finally had to explain it to him. A few days later, Fang Hung-chien received a letter from her mother-in-law, which said,' A virtuous husband is knowledgeable and rich, and is famous in five continents. There is no need to brag about his doctor. However, your father's adult was a filial and loyal person in the former dynasty, and it seems appropriate for a virtuous husband to promote foreigners. Later, he was also a foolish and respectable man. "Fang Hung-chien was caught between two sides before he realized the importance of studying abroad. This diploma seems to have the function of Adam and Eve's lower body lobe, which can cover up shame and ugliness; A small piece of paper can cover up a person's emptiness, ignorance and stupidity. "("Fortress Besieged "on page 9, People's Literature Publishing House)

This is Qian Zhongshu's indirect evaluation, and there are more direct ones. Fang Hung-chien and Miss Tang said, "Studying abroad now is the same as the imperial examination in the Qing Dynasty. My father always said that in the past, no matter how big your official did, there was always a lifelong regret. You can also get rid of this inferiority complex by staying in school, not for advanced knowledge. Going abroad is like getting pimples and thorns. You must go abroad. Children who have had acne can grow up safely, and they are not afraid of infection when they encounter these two problems in the future. We have been abroad, and we have made a wish. Our souls are sound, and when we meet these microscopic worms, doctors and masters, we have the resistance to self-defense. When the acne is over, we forget it; Those who have studied abroad should also forget to study abroad. As a persistent international student like Cao Yuanlang, he hangs the guise of Oxford and Cambridge everywhere, just as he willingly becomes full of acne, and his proud face is like a dense circle of good articles. " (8 1 page) "Talking about Art" also quoted Miss Lu from Chapter 11 of The Scholars: "From ancient times to the present, those who have not passed the entrance examination can be called celebrities."

In the Preface to Selected Poems of Song Dynasty, the evaluation of the imperial examination system in Song Dynasty is: "The way to be an official is broad but not chaotic". Wen Tianxiang's early poems are introduced in the book, and most of them are rambling and mediocre works, which are fortune-telling. By the way, it is said that "the same situation exists in Yao Mian Sherman's draft, which is three years ahead of him, and those people have to find champions to advertise for them." (Notes on Selected Poems of Song Dynasty, page 3 1 1, People's Literature Publishing House) Qian Zhongshu mentioned the personnel and the champion of the imperial examination, but he did not agree with it, which seemed to show his basic judgment on the imperial examination system.