1988 / November

小城鎮經濟與資本主義萌芽：綜論近年來大陸學界有關明清市鎮的研究
''Small Town Economy'' and Incipient Capitalism in Ming-Chíng China: A Reapprisal of Recent Chinese Historiography

研究論文 Research Article

劉石吉
Shih-chi Liu

171-198

本文是一篇書評論文 (Review Article)。全文分爲三部分，首先重點論述及檢討最近幾年中國大陸「對內搞活經濟，對外開放政策」的實施，揭櫫所謂「社會主義初級階段論」、強調城鄉經濟體制改革、發展商品經濟及市場體系丶重視小城鎮經濟功能等的主要理論背景。其中以費孝通爲首的中共官方及學者，對於江蘇小城鎮研究的倡議最爲積極與致力，因而帶動了學界在過去幾年內再度對小城鎮的社會意義與歷史發展的探討。本文第二部分即集中檢討及評論史學界如傅衣凌、樊樹志、王家範、蔣兆成、陳學文、洪煥椿、陳忠平等人對明清江南市鎮與資本主義萌芽關係的研究，並嘗試以本文作者前此相關之研究略作比較分析。最後爲附錄參考書目，詳細列擧大陸學者關於小城鎮商品經濟的主要著作丶有關明清資本主義萌芽發展的論著及資料選集丶中外學者相關的重要研究成果等。

This paper is designed to analyse the historical relations between the development of market towns and the sprouts of capitalism in Ming-Ch'ing China through an overall literature review on the issue in question by main­land scholars. Recently, with the launching of the ''Four Modernizations", govern­ment authorities and academic community in mainland China have once again raised the issue of "small town economy". As the economic impor­tance of small cities and towns is acknowledged, a hot debate on the relations between market town economy and incipient capitalism has been rekindled. The efforts of these scholars have borne fruits. A solid foundation has been laid on which our studies of the sprouts of capitalism, and the market towns as well as their interrelations will be greatly facilitated. But, theories of Marxism, Leninism and Maoism may be more of a hindrance than a help as they have rendered mainland scholars unable to apply other social science theories to their studies. Concerning the study of Ming-Ch'ing economic his­tory, at present, the real issue confronting us is: in terms of methodological analysis and theoretical level, how can we burst free from the "incipient stage" and come to a maturity?

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