“奴婢贱人，律比畜产”——中国古代贱民的政治学分析
作者简介:俞可平，北京大学中国政治学研究中心讲席教授（北京 100871）
摘要: 贱籍制度是中国历史最悠久的政治制度之一，是中国绝对君主专制主义的重要结构基础。贱民是中国传统社会中一个数量庞大的特殊群体，是士农工商“四民”之外的一个特殊阶层，处于中国社会等级结构体系的最底层。贱民被当作牲口和财物，完全剥夺了基本的人权，没有起码的人身自由、人格尊严和生命保障。贱民不仅不享有普遍平民所拥有的自由权、平等权和人格权，甚至其生存权随时可能被主人或其他“良民”所剥夺。“奴婢贱人，律比畜产”，道出了中国历史上贱民群体的共同本质。贱民制度在中国持续存在数千年，给中华民族留下了沉重的政治和社会遗产。贱籍制度将非人性和反人道的行为合法化，本质上是一种政治奴役和社会奴役。贱民政治即是奴性政治，国民奴性的形成与贱籍制度有着内在的联系。
“Slaves and Pariahs, Compared in Law to Livestock”—A Political Analysis of China's Ancient Pariah Class
Abstract: The pariah system is one of the longest-standing political systems in Chinese history and serves as a crucial structural foundation for China's absolute monarchy and autocratic regime. Pariahs constituted a vast and distinct group in traditional Chinese society, existing outside the recognized four-class ordinary people of scholar-officials, farmers, artisans, and merchants. They occupied the lowest rung of China's social stratification system. Pariahs were treated like livestock and property, stripped entirely of basic human rights, and deprived of personal freedom, dignity, and life security. Not only were they denied the common freedoms, equality, and personal rights enjoyed by ordinary citizens, but even their right to life could be taken away by their masters or other "free" citizens at any time. The phrase "slaves and pariahs, compared in law to livestock" encapsulates the collective essence of the pariah class in Chinese history. The pariah system persisted in China for thousands of years, leaving a heavy political and social legacy on the Chinese people. This system legitimized inhumane and anti-humanitarian practices, essentially constituting a form of political and social enslavement. The politics of the pariahs is one of servility, and the formation of a servile national character is intrinsically linked to the pariah system.
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