明代社學之研究

Abstract

本研究主要是透過廣查明代地方志，並輔以明代一般性史籍，以探討明代社學的發展，並進一步釐清社學的性質及歷史地位。研究發現如下： 一、社學萌於元，是設於縣級以下的學校，明代沿之，經太祖的創制，英宗、憲宗、孝宗及神宗等皇帝也下詔督辦社學，使社學的辦理漸趨完備。 二、自社學的設置者、管理者、經費來源等方面來看，發現社學具有官學的色彩，但若自教師、學生、課程來看，則與私學相近，因此將社學視為「準官學」。此外，明代社學含有普及教育的理想，在程度上屬於「小學」教育的階段，在對象上含有平民教育的內涵，在內容上有社會教育的意義，但從入學的強迫性與否來看，社學並非義務教育。 三、明代可考社學總數為11,967所，其中分佈於兩直隸與十三個布政司的有11,881所，每府（州）平均有54.75所，每縣平均有8.75所。 四、明代社學的興衰，受到皇帝下詔興舉、提學官的督導、府州縣官的關心與否以及陸王心學的影響。 五、明代社學的歷史意義可分別自如下三方面來看：（一）社學屬明代教化政策的一部分，在某種程度上與其他教化機構結合，具有社會控制的功能；（二）社學在官學系統中的意義，一方面是作為地方儒學的下級學校，一方面則可自學校數量的增加、設置地點深入基層以及招收對象不限等方面來看，社學促使教育機會擴大；（三）社學為明代啟蒙教育的一環。 總之，明代社學是第一次以官方的力量來為鄉里百姓提供眾多的教育機會，在中國教育史的發展上，實在不容忽視。

The main purpose of this paper is to study the development of community schools (She-hsueh) in the Ming Dynasty by the local chronicles and the official documents of the Ming Dynasty. The main findings of this study are as follows: 1.She-hsueh emerged from the Yuan Dynasty and lasted to the Ming Dynasty. They were the local quasi-government schools and became well-organized in the Ming Dynasty. 2.Basically, She-hsueh were quasi-government schools. However, as to their teachers, students and curriculum, they had the nature of private schools. Besides, one goal of them was to educate all people. She-hsueh had multiple characteristics: as to their students, which were elementary schools; as to student numbers, which became popular; as to their function, which were a kind of social education but not compulsory education. 3.During the Ming Dynasty, at least 11,967 community schools were established all over the county. 4.The development of She-hsueh were affected by the factors such as emperors' order, the guidance and control of the superintendents, the commitment and involvement of local officials and the devotion of Wang Yang-ming and his disciples. 5.The significance of She-hsueh in history may be generalized as three aspects: first, She-hsueh were one of main means to realize the government’s policies for political socialization and also the function of social control. Second, the level of She-hsueh were lower than that of local government schools. Third, She-hsueh were one kind of Elementary schools in the Ming Dynasty. In short, the Ming She-hsueh enlarged the educational opportunity for commoners in county or town for the first time. The devotion and influence of them could not be ignored in the ancient history of Chinese education .