William of Malmesbury and fortuna

The great Benedictine historian William of Malmesbury has divided scholarly interpretation over recent decades. For some, William was a precocious scholarly talent who steered around or subverted the constraining absurdities of the providential orthodoxy. For others, his explicit expressions of faith in God’s providence, despite its often vexatious reverses, betray a sincere piety and reverence for the hidden justice of divine cosmic rationality. These conclusions have relied on flawed assessments of William’s use of the term fortuna, fortune. They adhere to a broader status quo that imagines all medieval thinkers took for granted that fortune’s reverses were inscrutable and inevitable. On the contrary, this article argues that William was concerned with determining the precise causes of fortune, so that he might prescribe ethical advice to prevent its reverses. This has consequences for understanding the ends of twelfth-century historical writing and the development of thought pertaining to individual and collective punishments.     

两周金文中的动词同义词连用

同义词连用现象是古汉语复音词产生的主要途径之一,而动词又是词汇中较大的一宗,本文就两周时期金文中的动词同义词连用现象做了一些考察,这些对我们正确理解两周时期的铭文内容都会大有裨益。     

Abbots and Aristocrats: Patronage,Art and Architecture at Hailes Abbey in the Late Middle Ages

This article focuses on the art and architecture of the Cistercian abbey of Hailes, home of a famous relic of the Holy Blood, in the two centuries before the Suppression. It is intended to be a contribution to evolving literature on late medieval monasticism, showing the enduring spiritual vitality and relevance of Hailes between the 14th and early 16th centuries. The article discusses the planning and architecture of the late medieval monastery, the extent of and motives for the internal and external patronage and the relationship of the monastery with its sister Cistercian houses, especially those in northern England.     

商代王位继承制的特质

商代自成汤始,三十帝十七世,弟及王位者十四人,其中九世为兄终弟及。殷王室在婚姻形态上虽有嫡庶之分,但并不彻底也不完备,未能进一步对继承王位的嫡子再分嫡庶,故无法形成具有区别大小宗的宗法制度。而子继作为弟及的中介和桥梁,起初主要是长兄之子,至小乙时转变为季弟之子,武乙以后又变为嫡长之子。子继者的亲属关系虽有变化,但在武乙之前基本上是兄终弟及的格局,从而显现出商代王位继承制的特质。周初承继了殷商末季的政治遗产,确立了更为严格的嫡长子继统法,遂成为后来百世不易的重要政治制度之一。     

The Members of the House of Lords and the Hanoverian Succession

This essay examines what happened in August and September 1714, from the death of Queen Anne on 1 August to the swearing-in of the new privy council on 1 October, specifically from the perspective of the membership of the house of lords. It confirms that most members were present in London during this period and active in parliament, the privy council, the regency, and politics generally. Very few were absent without a good reason.     

日本女性皇位继嗣问题初探

明治维新以后,女性开始被排除在皇位继嗣范围之外。1889年的明治宪法和皇室典范明确规定了皇胤践皇祚、男系男子践皇祚、皇祚一系的皇位继承三原则。战后,尽管天皇的政治地位和性质发生了变化,但是皇室的基本结构和指导思想并无明显的变化,1947年的皇室典范承袭战前的男系男子万世一系的皇统理念,依然从法理上拒绝女性皇位继嗣。此外,由于日本近现代的天皇是国家的最高祭司,因此至今仍残留的万世一系神权天皇的意识也在无形地阻碍女性皇位继嗣的制度化。     

再谈孟子、荀子对孔子民族思想的继承与发展

孔子、孟子和苟子的“夷夏之辨”、“外夷内夏”、“夷夏之防”、“华夏一统”等民族思想为中华民族思想理论奠定了基调。虽然他们区分“夷”、“夏”的标准都是以“文化”为价值判断,但三人强调的侧重点是不同的,孔子的民族观念是对西周以来民族思想的继承,主张以“仁”、“德”为区分民族差别的标准,讲究“和为贵”;孟子的民族观念继承了孔子民族思想的开放性因素,其核心是“以夏变夷”,其指向是以仁义治天下;苟子的民族观念则是以“礼乐”为中心构建起来的,也具备开放性特征,但其着眼点在“严夷夏之防”,终极目的是通过“礼乐”之教而使天下一统,直接为巩固君主集权体制服务。     

浅析拜占廷帝国早期阶段皇位继承制度的发展

戴克里先采取了一系列改革措施重振罗马帝国,其中大部分政策为君士坦丁一世继承,并逐渐成为早期拜占廷帝国管理体制的基础.但是,戴克里先所创立的四帝共治制由于自身蕴涵着不可克服的内部矛盾,在戴克里先退位后随即崩溃.此后经过三个 王朝以及一个世纪的发展,拜占廷帝国皇位的血亲世袭继承原则得以确立,血统成为皇位继承合法性的来源.与此同时,军队也依然拥有对于皇位继承的强大影响力,血统与军队在皇位继承中形成互相制约的关系.