文武糾結的困境--宋代的武舉與武學

The Dilemma of Recruiting Military Talent through Literary Aproaches: the Military Examination and Military Academy in Song China

武舉和武學在宋代的制度化，是文士將讀書和科考的理念應用於武官選任制度的結果。倡儀者期待透過學校教育與考試制度，選拔「知書之將」，以改善武官的素質。但是，以書本教育與紙筆考試選拔將才的結果，卻與設立的宗旨大異其趣。參與者大多數量受挫於文科考試的士人，他們對於軍事工作並無興趣，只是以武舉和武學作為求取官職的另一途徑。因此，武舉進士多半不願加入軍隊，只想尋找改換文階的機會。從北宋到南宋，武舉進士不願從軍的現象日益嚴重，就軍事層面而言，武舉的功能是隨著時間而遞減。儘管在軍事層面上的效果有限，武舉與武學仍然持續運作直到南宋滅亡。這是因為這兩個制度兼具象徵意義與現實功能。武舉和武學代表政府對於「武」的重視，使宋朝具備「文武兼隆」的外貌，並可確立讀書有益於統兵的觀念，合理化文官對軍隊的掌控。在現實層面上，武舉為受挫於文舉的士人提供出路，減少科舉競爭的壓力，由於牽涉到眾多讀書人的利益，政府儘管對武舉的成效感到不滿，卻難以將其廢除。武舉與武學的名不符實，顯現軍事知識在宋代尷尬的地位。文士提倡軍事之學，卻不肯承認「武」自有其學術體系和價值觀念，只想以「文」的理念來應付「武」的問題，致使「武」成為「文」的附庸，限制了整個國家在軍事頜域的發展空間。

In Song China, the recruitent of military officials and the training of martial talents experienced a new development, as the government established the military examination and the military academy. These two new institutions origainated from the fact that while the civil elite controlled the Song government , the tried to apply their own value system to military fields. Based on the idea that military leadership derived from book learning, civil official established the military examination and academy to cultivate military talents through literary methods. To pass the military examination, the candidates had to possess literary talents and knowledge, so most participants were literati, who previously failed civil examination, and attempted to use the military examination and academy as an alternative to obtain official titles. Due to their civil identity, most military degree holders had little intention in a military career, instead eagerly sought any opportunity to transfer to civil posts. Although the government prohibited the taking of both civil and military examinations, this order was not followed. Because most military degree holders did not serve in the armies, the military examination made little influence on the Song military forces. Although the originally designed functions of military examination and academy were never fulfilled, these two institutes still existed until the end of the Southern Song, due to some non-military factors. To the civil elite, the establishment of the military examination and academy confirmed the opinion that military leadership was based on literary learning, which legitimized civil officials' authority on military affairs, These two institutions also caused the Song Empire to coincide with the traditional idealism that developments in civil and military affairs had equal importance to a country. Moreover, the growing number of literati intensified the competition of the civil service examination, so failed candidates needed an alternative to gain an official title, and the military examination offered this opportunity. Because the abolishment of the military examination would damage the benefits of many literati, no official dared to advocate this idea. From the military perspective, the Song civil elite's efforts on improving military recruitment were unsuccessful. The main factor causing this failure was that most civil officials overlooked the academic value of military knowledge and martial arts. The education of military academy did not develop its own academic system, therefore it was difficult to differentiate military academy education from that of other official schools which provided literary education. The students of military academy concentrated their efforts on preparing examination rather than learning the military abilities useful in battle fields. Although the Song government created the first military school in Chinese history, military study failed to become an independent discipline, but was subordinate to literary learning. Under this circumstance, the establishment of the military examination and academy mostly related to the benefits of literati, but failed to inspire a military education meaningful to the armies.