明清的資訊傳播、社會想像與公眾社會

Information Media, Social Imagination, and Public Society during the Ming and Qing

本文主要思考的問題是：明清社會中的資訊傳播如何建構「公眾社會」？在實際討論上分別就邸報與民間性媒體進行討論，主要探討傳播媒體的「參觀」功能如何發揮中介、整合個人與社會的作用，本文特別由一些媒體利用或媒體糾紛的實例出發，藉此探查媒體如何在社會上產生宣傳或反宣傳的效果。另一方面，也將思考重點擺在：社會成員如何在媒體的中介下對其耳目之外的國家、社會等概念性世界產生感情上聯繫——這種聯繫就是建構「公眾社會」的憑藉。本文的考察發現：明清社會中發達的傳播媒體已經建立起一個新的人際互動——人與人，個人與社會互動的方式。社會中的個人透過諸如邸報、戲曲、小說之類傳播媒體的媒介，人與人的互動可以突破有限空間與具體對象的限制，一方面它可以將個別（或個人）事件迅速傳播給廣大的社會大眾，讓其他不在場的群眾也可「參與」此事，另一方面它可以讓個人「參與」非其耳目所及的社會事務。如此，大眾傳播媒體穿越了個人生活領域，在此之上交集、建構出一個「公眾領域」，在其媒介下，具體的個人可進入此「公眾領域」，與想像中的「社會大眾」發生聯繫——就此可以說大眾傳播媒體創造了一個「想像的社會」，讓社會中的具體個人可以在個人有限的「現實世界」外，另外有個廣闊的「虛擬世界」可以參與（參觀），也因此，具體個人之間的交往也進而發展成個人與抽象社會的交往，而這樣的交往更可跨越地區性限制，建立起來一個涵蓋面廣大的「公眾社會」。 The main question of this essay is how information media constructed “public society” during the Ming and Qing dynasties. By examining both Di bao (邸報) and popular media, this essay strives to reveals the ways in which media integrated the individual with society as well as analyzing the influence of media on society. This essay further discusses how people developed emotional connections with the unknown aspects of notions such as the state and society through media. These mediated connections were key in constructing a “public society.” This essay corroborates the claim that the nascent developments of media during the Ming and Qing affected interpersonal interactions between an individual and society, as well as between individuals. By virtue of media such as Di bao, plays, and novels, interpersonal interactions surpassed spatial limitations. Media could rapidly spread particular or individual news to the general public, allowing those who were absent from the scene feel as if they were “experiencing” it, and concomitantly allowing them the opportunity to “participate in” social affairs beyond their knowledge. In this way, mass media enhanced and expanded the individual living sphere, forming a “public sphere.” Under the influence of new media, each individual could join this “public sphere” and connect with an imagined “general public.” That is to say, mass media created an “imagined society.” In addition to a personal and therefore limited “real world,” there existed a vast “fictitious world” for everyone to take part in and experience. Accordingly, interactions between people developed into interactions between each individual and the abstract society, which cut across space limitations, and ultimately established an immense “public society.”

The main question of this essay is how information media constructed “public society” during the Ming and Qing dynasties. By examining both Di bao (邸報) and popular media, this essay strives to reveals the ways in which media integrated the individual with society as well as analyzing the influence of media on society. This essay further discusses how people developed emotional connections with the unknown aspects of notions such as the state and society through media. These mediated connections were key in constructing a “public society.” This essay corroborates the claim that the nascent developments of media during the Ming and Qing affected interpersonal interactions between an individual and society, as well as between individuals. By virtue of media such as Di bao, plays, and novels, interpersonal interactions surpassed spatial limitations. Media could rapidly spread particular or individual news to the general public, allowing those who were absent from the scene feel as if they were “experiencing” it, and concomitantly allowing them the opportunity to “participate in” social affairs beyond their knowledge. In this way, mass media enhanced and expanded the individual living sphere, forming a “public sphere.” Under the influence of new media, each individual could join this “public sphere” and connect with an imagined “general public.” That is to say, mass media created an “imagined society.” In addition to a personal and therefore limited “real world,” there existed a vast “fictitious world” for everyone to take part in and experience. Accordingly, interactions between people developed into interactions between each individual and the abstract society, which cut across space limitations, and ultimately established an immense “public society.”