What influence does patriarchal clan system have on the shaping of national character?
First, the formation and evolution of patriarchal clan system
The so-called patriarchal clan system is the law that stipulated the official position and social system in ancient China. Patriarchal clan system is a social relationship based on blood relationship. Many scholars have conducted in-depth research on the origin of patriarchal clan system. It is generally believed that the patriarchal clan system in ancient China was degenerated and expanded by the patriarchal clan organization at the end of primitive society. At this time, the clan's public cemetery became the clan's tomb system; At this time, the right of clan members to use clan names developed into surname and name system; At this time, the exogamy system of the clan has become the unmarried system of the same surname and the endogamy system of the aristocratic level; At this time, the clan's mutual inheritance became the eldest son inheritance system. ""As for the obligation to help, protect and support each other between clans, it becomes the obligation to help, protect and support each other between clans. "① ② This is a discussion on the relationship between clan system and patriarchal clan system. The view that patriarchal clan system originated from primitive clan era is in line with the actual situation in ancient China.
Patriarchal clan system originated from primitive clan times, gradually formed in Shang Dynasty and gradually completed in Zhou Dynasty. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the division between feudalism and commonness and the clan system of large and small were established. The social organization of the Western Zhou Dynasty is a blood entity with close relationship and obvious system.
First of all, the rules of kissing and respect are established. Clans are clan-based. The so-called "clan" originally refers to a blood entity composed of a group of brothers. Yaodian in Shangshu puts forward "pro-nine clans", indicating that "pro-nine clans" (meaning pro-kiss) starts from oneself, traces back to one's father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and extends to one's parents and children. Ban Gu's White Tiger Yi Tong said, "What does the patriarch mean? He is respected by his ancestors. " The "ancestor" here refers to the person who presided over the ancestral temple ceremony, that is, the eldest son. "Book of Rites Quli" said: "Zhi Zi didn't sacrifice, so the founder told him."
Secondly, clans are divided into big clans and small clans. The eldest son is the eldest son of the whole clan, and the collateral illegitimate child is the youngest son. Therefore, there are large and small clans. Zhou Wang claimed to be the son of heaven, and the throne was inherited by his eldest son, who was the eldest son of Ji. Except for the eldest son, illegitimate children were divided into princes and small clans named Ji. In vassal States, it is also based on the principle that the eldest son inherits the father's position. For the emperor of Zhou, it was a small family. His brothers were named Qing Dafu, which was the big clan of his family and the small clan among the princes. Doctor Qing was enfeoffed according to the principle of big clan and small clan. Therefore, emperors, princes, great doctors and scholars are big in blood, and the relationship between small clans is politically subordinate.
Third, there is a hierarchical relationship between the big and small clans. Ban Gu said, "A major can lead a minor clan, and a minor clan can lead a younger brother, so those who obey the discipline also." The roles of clans of different sizes are different, and they enjoy different ranks, birthrights and powers. The son of heaven is the master of the world. From a vassal to a scholar, on the one hand, he has due obligations to the son of heaven. Enjoy the right to control your own property, be responsible for your own sacrifices, and manage your own members, thus forming a pyramid hierarchy. Under the warm cloak of consanguinity, ruling and ruled, political relationship and consanguinity are integrated. The landlord class later used this system to consolidate political power, clan power, theocracy and husband power.
Fourth, ceremonies maintain hierarchical order. At the beginning of the founding of Zhou Dynasty, there was the "system of rites and music" of Zhou Gong, which was perfected and supplemented to form the so-called "three hundred rites and three thousand rites". In a broad sense, ceremony refers to laws and regulations, while in a narrow sense, ceremony refers to etiquette or ceremony. In order to simplify the complex, Zhou rites are usually divided into five categories: "good luck". Li Ji is a ritual to worship ancestors and ghosts. Fierce rites belong to funeral and famine rites; Military salute is related to expedition, triumph and conquest; The guest ceremony involves recruiting from North Korea; Gifts are auspicious ceremonies such as marriage, coronation and banquet. In family life, social communication and political activities, every nobleman should make his status level correspond to the rules of rites and music, and make his words and deeds, clothes and tools consistent with the rules of rites and music. Therefore, the system of rites and music embodies the hierarchical order of nobles and has the function of maintaining hierarchical order. The so-called "courtesy, dignity, old and young, poor and expensive" is called. Here are only two examples of sacrificial ceremonies to understand the strict hierarchy. First, the temple system, according to the Book of Rites: "The seven halls of the emperor, three Zhao and three acres, and the seven halls of the great ancestor. Five Kings Temple, One Zhao Ermu and Five Ancestral Temples. Three temple doctors, one Zhao Yimu, three temple grandfathers. Shu Ren sacrificed sleep. ..... The princes sacrificed famous mountains and rivers. " The emperor offered sacrifices to the mountains and rivers in the world, and the princes could only offer sacrifices to the mountains and rivers in China, while Dr. Qing was not qualified to offer sacrifices to the mountains and rivers. This can be seen. During the hundreds of years in the Western Zhou Dynasty, the land was divided into distinct social structures. The system of zongzi sacrificial rites and rites and music made the whole society have a strong centripetal force, from servants and Shu Ren to princes and doctors, layer by layer.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with the rise of the landlord class and the disintegration of the Jing Tian system, the county system replaced the enfeoffment system, resulting in a situation of "ritual collapse and bad music". However, the mode of ritual and music system has not been completely broken in social changes, such as the eldest son inheritance system of the throne, the hereditary system of titles, the patriarchal clan system and so on. It was developed under the new historical conditions. The patriarchal clan system originally adapted to slavery evolved into a feudal clan system.
First of all, at the top of the ruling group, the feudal patriarchal clan system also inherited privileges according to kinship. The principle of succession to the throne is the eldest son inheritance system, and it is "long-term, immoral, expensive and not long". On the basis of the patriarchal clan system in rural areas, there are three old people in charge of "education", misers in charge of prison litigation and taxation, and village officials in charge of inspecting and assisting a place. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, land annexation was more intense, and the local power of patriarchal clan system was further expanded. After Wei and Jin Dynasties, the feudal clan system represented by the family organizations of the gentry reached its peak. The gentry compiled "Hundred Schools of Thought" instead of "Hundred Schools of Thought", and the abolition of "Jiupin" opened the door for the civilian landlords. The official revised the surname book three times, namely, Records of Taizong, Records of Gaozong and Records of Zhongzong. The state set up a "genealogy bureau" to compile the genealogy of surnames with famous Confucianism, with the intention of redefining the difference between the previous generation and the ordinary, with the current position as the level. In Song Dynasty, there were more opportunities for middle and lower literati to participate in politics. Bureaucratic landlords bought and occupied land, which impacted the tradition of hereditary possession of land according to hierarchy, and the feudal patriarchal clan system declined for a time. However, the landless landlords who acquired the land through purchase soon realized the instability of their family's economic and political status. In order to bind farmers to patriarchal social organizations, consolidate their privileges, and sacrifice the ancient patriarchal system, and to stabilize the subordinate relationship, Neo-Confucianism advocates "mastering people's hearts, collecting clans, and enriching customs so that people will not forget their roots." Then, the wind of compiling new genealogies rose again, and there were countless private genealogies, such as genealogy, genealogy, genealogy and so on.
Secondly, the combination of feudal patriarchal clan system and feudal ethics and morality, on the one hand, affects the redistribution of power and property, on the other hand, restricts the life forms of Jia, Bin, marriage, funeral, sacrifice and even daily life. For example, marriage is more important than marriage, and the marriage of different surnames between gentry forms complicated social relations and protects each other with the help of political forces. The funeral ceremony is structured and there are coffins. The mourning period depends on respect and personal intimacy. In addition, there is a popular burial trend. Children and grandchildren are buried from their parents' ancestors, which is called "returning to the old". In fact, they were buried to gather their families. Sacrifice in the family is presided over by the eldest son, and the people gather together to show the dedication and prayers of family members to the ancestors of * * *. In daily life, they are dressed in full dress in boats, houses, ancestral halls and weddings. In the Qing Dynasty, officials, soldiers and civilians were forbidden to wear yellow and purple clothes, vessels were forbidden to carve dragons, flying fish and bullfights, and dragon and phoenix patterns were forbidden. Ordinary women can only wear one piece of gold jewelry and a pair of gold earrings. Jade wings can be decorated with silver, but not with patterned gold thread. Household curtains, official ranks and embroidery colors are different, and ordinary people can only use tulle and silk. Obviously, the patriarchal clan system is the generation of ethics.
Second, maintain the patriarchal clan system of feudal order.
One of the reasons for the abnormal stability of feudal society in China is that the patriarchal clan system has played an important role in consolidating feudal autocracy and maintaining feudal hierarchy.
First of all, many scattered clan organizations are the foundation of feudal autocracy. China was founded by agriculture since ancient times, and its natural economy has lasted for a long time. Countless village communities constitute the cell groups of China society. In rural communities, families are grouped into clans to form a society. Patriarch and patriarch are often both exploiters of ordinary people and managers of rural grass-roots administration, thus integrating clan rights and political rights. They are also under the jurisdiction of governors at all levels of the county system and act as the government. As the saying goes, "there are officials and laws to prevent children within the family." Many clans have written clan rules, which are equivalent to the internal laws of the clan. For the clan members who violate clan rules and refuse to accept arbitration, clan rules have extensive disciplinary power, which makes them a supplement to national laws. In this way, the clan organizations from the central government to the village community controlled each other layer by layer, forming the unity of feudal autocratic regime. Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty once wrote an imperial edict saying: It has a long history. In order to change the morals, family members have seen more and more, and it is necessary to supervise the small, from near to far, as a general rule. "② The significance of maintaining and consolidating the feudal patriarchal clan system lies in ensuring the long-term stability of the feudal regime. The Chronicle of Shaonian in Yongding contains the cloud of "Six Chapters of Ancestral System": "Li Zongben was left to govern". Zhu Xi's "Family Gifts" Volume 1. Then the court respects itself. " "II" contains a cloud in Cheng Yi's Yi Zhuan: "The way of a family must have dignity, and the length of a family is called parents. Although the family is small and has no dignity, it will be filial when it declines, and the law will be abolished without a monarch. If there is a strict monarch, the home is right and the home is the country. " All of the above shows that the purpose of promoting patriarchal clan system lies in the family.
Secondly, the feudal patriarchal clan system has the function of maintaining the feudal hierarchy and defining the hierarchy. Patriarchal system emphasizes the distinction between honor and inferiority, which coincides with the political model of paternalism. If the father reigns in the family and the patriarch is the master in the clan organization, then the monarch is the strict father or patriarch of the whole country. "The Complete Book of Daming Law" contains: "There is a difference between master and servant. We can start with the clan organizations at the grassroots level and form a feudal order network from the bottom up. In feudal society, everyone's position in this network was defined, and individuals could not be independent of this network. Their rights and obligations, the possession of property and land, and their daily life behavior are all determined by their status and prescribed level in this network .. Only in this way can we ensure the harmony of the patriarchal society, otherwise it will be "chaotic". This patriarchal network structure divided the feudal hierarchy into extremely exquisite and comprehensive, which enabled the "unified" centralization of authority to run for a long time.
Third, the patriarchal clan system to shape the national character
The Chinese nation has been an agricultural country since ancient times. The social structure of feudal society linked by consanguineous clan system and the patriarchal clan system derived from this social structure are inseparable from the specific economic base of agricultural natural economy. Society creates people, people create culture, and culture shapes people. Since the "civilization" of the Western Zhou Dynasty, China's ancient history and culture have never got rid of the "pan-clan" paradigm, and the blood clan system has never been broken, thus shaping a history.
One is committed to living and working in peace and contentment and lacks entrepreneurial awareness. According to the patriarchal clan system, all sons are divided equally in property inheritance. As the saying goes, "in fact, the feud between the flesh and blood of later generations is for money, so that it is evenly distributed and the patriarchal clan system is established. The official law is indisputable." After they are born, the male offspring in the family means that they will inherit a family business from their parents, so that in a closed area, they can take capital from the land and rely on it. They engage in routine work on narrow cultivated land to achieve self-sufficiency and food and clothing. Most of their life courses are established, that is, like their parents and ancestors, they were born and raised in Sri Lanka, worked in Sri Lanka, died in Sri Lanka and were buried in Sri Lanka. This makes ordinary boys in traditional villages reluctant to move out and insist on self-sufficiency in family business. Confucianism has always advocated "controlling people's property", believing that perseverance can only be achieved if people have permanent property. Traditional families aim at the career of their sons and stepfathers. Let every worker have a continuous production and then perseverance. The result of perseverance is to let people work at sunrise, rest at sunset, be self-sufficient, live and work in peace and contentment, and take this as the criterion. The regularity and stability of spring sowing, summer management, autumn harvest, winter storage and farming civilization made ancient China people pay attention to adapting to the natural rhythm, sticking to their homes, keeping their feet on the ground and moving. In a harmonious place, a peaceful and happy life is regarded as an ideal state of life. Emperor Han and Yuan once summed up the social psychology of China people and said, "Living in peace makes people feel at ease, connected by flesh and blood, and human feelings are sweet and bitter." ② The Chinese idiom "leaving one's hometown" has a special meaning of survival despair. In the history of China, the ecological, ethnic and cultural revolution caused by population migration is rare. Generation after generation.
The second is to respect our ancestors. Patriarchal clan attaches great importance to the blood relationship between family and clan. Traditional Confucian culture advocates kissing and respecting rather than the rules of gods and ghosts. Traditional agricultural production attaches importance to the inheritance of experience and knowledge. The predecessors of this family obviously represent experience and truth, and have absolute authority, which is enough for the younger generation to worship. "Book of Rites Guan Yi" said: "Self-abasement and respect for ancestors" requires people to exercise self-restraint and learn to tolerate and respect their ancestors. Therefore, ancestor worship prevailed in ancient China, from the emperor to the common people. Attach importance to the geomantic omen of ancestral graves, and tie the fortunes of future generations with the virtues of ancestors; Most guilds of different professions have their own ancestors to worship. For example, Lu Ban or Gong Ban is the founder of carpenter's furniture business, while Hua Tuo or Sun Simiao is regarded as the founder by pharmaceutical companies. All these reflect China's traditional concept of "being cautious to the end".
The third is to respect tradition. Patriarchy and filial piety are the core contents of a patriarchal society, which strengthen people's sense of identity handed down from generation to generation. Generally speaking, the predecessors always ask the younger generation to follow the tradition and stick to the existing mode of production, lifestyle and behavior. The younger generation's recognition of the predecessors, that is, the recognition of the tradition, is easy to form a social psychology of keeping quiet, making the past serve the present and attaching importance to the tradition. The motto people believe in is "talk without action" and "the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed" Politically superstitious about "orthodoxy", such as Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu,. They are all wise ministers of ancient politicians. Even reformists who engage in political reform should play the banner of "being the first king", which means "ruling the first king to promote the benefits and eliminate the disadvantages". ① ③ Like Kang Youwei. On the one hand, it is said that the former king was given power. Those who keep the Bible can also build their own. ........................................................................................................................................ For every desire, .......... must first quote ancient books,' Poetry Cloud' and' Confucius', and then sort out and separate from the current body language, which determines the right or wrong of this body language. "In literature, the trend of imitating the past prevails in the literary world. Song people advocated that poetry should be "without words and books" and attach importance to learning from the ancients; Ming people advocated that "literature must be in Qin and Han dynasties" and "poetry must be in the prosperous Tang dynasty", and retro is the most important; "Tang Zong" and "Zong Song" in Qing Dynasty held their own opinions, which reflected the ancient writers' consciousness of respecting the ancient times. As far as the subject matter of ancient literary works is concerned, there are a large number of poems about history, homesickness and historical criticism, which also shows that ancient China people love and respect ancient cultural psychology.
Satisfied with the above-mentioned national psychology of living and working in peace and respect for ancestors is the main feature of China's traditional cultural psychological model. To some extent, it restricts the development of personality, the cultivation of innovative consciousness and the pursuit of diversification, and becomes a stagnant agent for social development. Social culture is always updated in development, the stale old habits in the national character are eliminated, and the national character is reshaped according to the new spirit of the times. This is the task entrusted to us by the times. Deng Xiaoping once pointed out: "The residual poison of patriarchal clan system cannot be underestimated." (3) (1) cronyism, exclusion of dissidents, content with poverty and happiness, not for the first, one person gets the word, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, gangs, and self-respect. Are all manifestations of the patriarchal clan system. Eliminating patriarchal clan system will be beneficial to the perfection of democracy and legal system. With the development of cities, towns and townships, promoting citizens' legal system and independent consciousness, advocating responsibility ethics among leaders, and making all citizens have corresponding rights and obligations equally will be conducive to stable, orderly and healthy social transformation. Morgan once said this when discussing the political and social changes in Athens. It enlightens us: "The new factor that brings security and order to the country is the township and local self-government that enjoys complete autonomy. 100 towns organized in a similar way will determine the overall activities of Athens and the country. What is the basic unit and its complex? As pointed out earlier, if people want to learn the art of autonomy and safeguard equal laws and equal rights and privileges, they must start from grassroots units.