寧鳴而死,不默而生:評介李金銓主編⋘文人論政:民國知識份子與報刊⋙

Rather Die for Speech Than Live in Silence: A Critical Review on C. C. Lee ed., Literati cum Political Commentators: Intellectuals and the Press in Republican China

近代中國「文人論政」的風氣，從一八七四年王韜在香港開辦《循環日報》，而嚮往「主筆之事，位至卿相」，現其端緒以來，至一九四八年儲安平在《觀察》，痛陳國民政府治下的中國為「一場爛污」，旋即因此遭當局查禁為止，如斯傳統至少維持了七十五年的光景。這是一場有識之士接力重塑（儒家）與追尋（西方）自由主義的馬拉松賽程，而這個意向，在歷經民初以降蓬勃的報刊發展而益發明顯。《文人論政》一書的出版，對於這個尚待墾拓的研究場域，有著提綱挈領的深切貢獻。本文將以時間與主題為序，分列討論之。

The history of modern Chinese literati cum political commentators presumably ranged from Wang Tao's Universal Circulating Herald in Hong Kong in 1874, till Chu Anping's relentless criticisms towards the ruling Kuomington (Chinese Nationalist Party) in Guancha (The Observer) semimonthly which had been banned in 1948. While Wang desires for a newspaper editor's responsibility could be corresponded to a minister in power, Chu shares the same vision and mission that therefore poignantly criticizes China under Kuomington as an awful mess. This invented tradition with newly imported journalism from the west lasts out at least for seventy five years. This is also a marathon relayed by Chinese intellectuals inherited from Confucianism to seek for Liberalism, which is manifested evidentially by the prosperous press market since the early years of Republic of China. The publication of this collection contributes to the emerging scholarly field distinctively. The present essay would review it thoroughly and chronically in terms of major themes and time periods.