王安石の科擧改革をめぐって

Abstract

The reform of the examination system that Wang An-shi carried out in the 2nd month of Xining 煕寧 4 (1071) consisted mainly of : 1. The abolishment of Poetry Exposition (shi-fu 詩賦), Memorization of Classics (tie-jing 帖經) and Elucidation of Classical Passages (mo-yi 墨義), and the adoption of Meaning of Classics (jing-yi 經義) and Policy Questions (lun, ce 論, 策). 2. The abolishment of the Understanding of the Classics (mingjing 明經) and the Various Fields Exam (zhuka 諸科), and the establishment of the Examination for the New Degree in Law (xinke mingfake 新科明法科). 3. The policy of special treatment towards the five northern circuits. The purpose of the reform was to promote talented men who would be capable of practical application of government, rather than to promote men of letters. In particular, there was an urgent need to select the necessary competent officials to advance Wang An-shi's New Laws. The third point was devised as a relief measure for the northern circuits, which had large numbers of candidates for the Various Fields Exam. As a result, the reform itself proceeded smoothly. With the exception of a small group of opponents like Su Shi 蘇軾, the reforms were supported by the majority of literati of both the old and new factions. However, when an attempt was made to carry out the new system, candidates simply memorized Wang An-shi's A New Explication of the Three Classics (Sanjing Xinyi 三經新義), and the examiners passed their own disciples, etc, so that the object of selecting capable officials with new political philosophy could not always be accomplished. Furthermore, the fact that political pressure made, Wang An-shi's new learning take the place of the old official teaching came to affect adversely the future of the Wang school.