Imperial Examination System Research Articles

Study on the Style of Duan Inkstone Inscriptions in the Tang Dynasty "Wu Yong Pan Guan"

The establishment of the imperial examination system in the Sui and Tang Dynasties of China led to the development of stationery accessories. Among them, the inkstone, as one of the important stationery accessories, has a rich cultural and historical background. The archaeological excavation of the Duan inkstone inscribed in the Tang Dynasty "Wu Yong Pan Guan" enhances the textual research on the appearance period of the Tang Dynasty Duan inkstone, as well as the tracing of the aesthetic style of the regular scripts of the Tang Dynasty.

Evaluation of the Modern Value of Imperial Examination Culture in the Context of Cultural Confidence Based on Deep Learning Models

National prosperity, national spiritual independence, and cultural security greatly impact the cultural self-confidence. It is also a new era issue that must be answered in building a socialist cultural power. In this paper, we scientifically define the core concepts of the imperial examination system, imperial examination culture, and imperial examination cultural heritage. We systematically discuss the connotation and extension of the imperial examination cultural heritage, analyze the positive energy and negative effects of the imperial examination culture, propose the construction of a new type of examination culture system, and innovate the content and form of the examination. We conduct an in-depth study on the modern value of the imperial examination culture in the context of cultural confidence and then construct appropriate evaluation indicators to use the deep learning model to evaluate the value. The technical principle and performance optimization method of DBN neural network are introduced and then the modern value evaluation system of imperial examination culture is constructed. The parameters of the DBN model are optimally selected through experiments. After the optimal model is trained, the sample data are input to obtain the results. The results are compared with the evaluation results of human experts to judge the performance of the model. In many cases, the results are very close to, or the same as the expert results, in some of the experiments, the accuracy of our model varied from the expert results by a small margin of up to 0.4%.

The longer abolition of the Chinese imperial examination system (1900s–1910s)

AbstractBy connecting seemingly scattered reforms and debates over the 1900s and 1910s, this paper outlines a longer process that eroded the institutional and ideological foundations of the imperial examination system (keju) that did not vanish immediately after the 1905 abolition. Under the title incentive program introduced in 1904, keju titles had been awarded to graduates of modern schools until the very end of the Qing dynasty. As the number of modern schools surged over the 1900s, the program led to an overexpansion of title holders, and ironically enhanced the scholar-official identity that was at odds with the discipline at the modern schools. To lobby for the abolition of the program, non-official reformers of education formulated a moralized critique against the keju titles, but no substantial reform had been undertaken before the 1911 Revolution ended the Qing dynasty. In the 1910s the same network of late Qing reformers launched an ideological war against traditional values that they saw as the ideological foundation of the keju. They constructed new concepts of education and vocation that spread through a powerful network connecting education, industry, and media. This “longer abolition” of the keju produced a prolonged effect on the visions of social order in twentieth century China.

China's historical imperial examination system and corporate social responsibility

Using the sample of China's A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2019 and the index of jinshi density to measure the historical imperial examination system, we empirically test the influence of the imperial examination system on corporate social responsibility. We find that the imperial examination system can encourage firms to improve their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) level. The results are robust to using the instrumental variable method, propensity score matching method, Heckman two-step regression, and a series of other tests. The mechanism analysis shows that regional education level and corporate social capital play a mediating role in the promotion of corporate social responsibility by the imperial examination system. Further analysis shows that the characteristics of the board of directors, external supervision pressure, and the shareholding ratio of institutional investors are important factors affecting the positive correlation. We further explore the role of the informal institution in corporate governance.

‘A cultured man is not a tool’: the impact of confucian legacies on the standing of vocational education in China

ABSTRACT While enjoying the respect and prestige in some countries, in others, despite being a significant educational sector, vocational education continues to suffer from low status and negative societal sentiments. Vocational education in China has been positioned at the bottom of the educational hierarchy, absorbing the ‘left-over’ students with ‘less good’ academic records. Addressing the research gap concerning the limited philosophical discourses about the academic/vocational divide from non-Western traditions, this paper seeks to explore the philosophical and historical heritage of the academic/vocational divide and how Confucianism may contribute to this divide and shaped the hierarchy of work in China. The Confucian literati, as ‘the privileged other’, determined the social rank of ‘those who labour with their strength’ and ‘those who labour with their minds’ through the Imperial Examination System. By using institutional logics theory, the paper explores how the legacy of these views may have negatively impacted on the standing of occupations and vocational education in contemporary Chinese society and argues that an alternative philosophical orientation is needed to counter the long-standing consequences for vocational education.

A Historical Investigation and Classification Analysis of Seven Controversies on the Reform and Abolition of the 1300-year Chinese Imperial Examination System

The Chinese imperial examination system has witnessed seven controversies on its reform and abolition throughout its 1300-year-old history. With a historical investigation and classification analysis, result showed that the seven controversies mainly focused on three pairs of contradictions. They are controversies on the content and format of imperial examinations, controversies on choosing talents through imperial examination or recommendation, and controversies on selecting talents through imperial examination or schooling system. The main implications include that the content of national examination should be beneficial to talent selection, the format of national examination should be conductive to efficient talent selection, and the national examination should uphold social equity and fairness and especially should be conducive to social class mobility.

The Reconstruction of Ideology and the Political Intervention in Literature in the Early Ming Dynasty

In the Ming Dynasty, Confucianism was the basic principle of ethics, and the whole social culture was dominated by Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism. Coupled with the development of ancient education and the reform of the imperial examination system, the education at that time also made Neo-Confucianism develop and spread continuously. In this atmosphere, the thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism have been gradually politicized under the interference of the imperial power and become a favorable tool to strengthen the centralization of power. At the same time, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty liked to interfere in literature, which also affected the natural development of literature, resulting in the early Ming dynasty literati’s “living-a-life” starting from politics rather than literature.

Імператорська система іспитів у Стародавньому Китаї як метод запобігання корупції

У статті досліджується давньокитайська екзаменаційна система, яка стала «п’ятим найбільшим винаходом» Китаю для формування прозорої урядової політики. Традиція складання екзаменів на державну службу в сучасних західних країнах бере свій початок від системи імператорських іспитів Стародавнього Китаю, адже Китай став першою країною у світі, яка обирає чиновників таким шляхом. Проте запобігання корупції на державній службі є найбільш серйозною та важливою проблемою серед усіх її проявів.

Farewell to confucianism: The modernizing effect of dismantling China's imperial examination system

This study uses 1899–1908 prefecture-level panel data to assess how the likelihood of passing the civil service examination affected modernization before and after the examination system's abolition. Because higher quotas were assigned to prefectures with an agricultural tax of over 150,000 piculs, we use a regression discontinuity design to generate an instrument that resolves potential endogeneity and ensures robust results. We find that following abolition, prefectures with higher quotas of successful candidates tended to establish more modern firms and send more students for overseas study in Japan. A subsequent analysis using an individual dataset further shows that the skill level of these overseas students increased after abolition, especially in regions with higher per capita quotas. This finding implies that the examination system led to substantial misallocation of talents.

Research on the Similarities between the Plot of Ji Chun Tai and Content of Sichuan Opera

Ji Chun Tai is the masterpiece of Sichuan dialect on late Qing Dynasty, composed of 40 vernacular short stories. It is divided into four parts, namely, Yuan Ji, Heng Ji, Li Ji, and Zhen Ji. Each part contains ten short stories. The author of Ji Chun Tai is a literator from Zhong Jiang who failed in imperial examination System in late Qing Dynasty. There are a large number of Sichuan Opera elements in those forty vernacular short stories. Generally speaking, the plot of Ji Chun Tai is full of ups and downs, together with relatively concentrated conflicts, which reflects the characteristics of Sichuan opera. Besides, the thought of persuasion and punishment, strong superstitious color, and detective story in Ji Chui Tai are combined together to reflect the characteristics of Sichuan Opera.

唐代의 문인 네트워크 고찰 : 『太平廣記』 문인여행 故事를 중심으로

The proactive social atmosphere in the Tang Dynasty(唐代) expanded in an environment which was an extraordinary progressive of the time and provided the foundation to spur literati travel. Furthermore, the fully-established imperial examination system(科擧) and overall social stability further boosted literati travels, showing an unprecedented spike in the number of literati travelers.BR The literati travelers enjoyed the exchange of ideas and the interaction with others during travel, serving as moving nodes that connect individuals and playing a leading role in delivering and spreading information. Therefore, accommodation facilities or convention centers where literati mainly interacted with each other acted as liaison points providing platforms for collecting and disseminating information. While those intellectuals played the ‘node’ roles with great social influence, a literati network was established, albeit implicitly, in the Tang Dynasty. Consequently, there were literati who acted like hubs or connectors according to the extent of influence they could exert within the network. Based on their strong social influence, the literati network provided the impetus for intellectuals to join their forces, thereby promoting an advent of a new class of people called ‘newly emerging intellectuals’ and contributing to the creation and development of popular literature in the Tang Dynasty.

A Brief History of Imperial Examination and Its Influences

Learners of East-Asian descent frequently outperform students from other developed nations on standardized tests. They are often well prepared, and generally demonstrate high proficiency in math, science, and language. Despite recent hype among Western policymakers and educators regarding the performance of East-Asian students on standardized exams, this phenomenon is primarily attributable to the unique history of imperial examinations, which began in China. The imperial examinations were firmly established in most East-Asian nations (excluding Japan owing to its geographic isolation), and were the product of cultures that valued routine work and strong central governments. Although some Western politicians and education administrators advocate adopting a form of education wherein standardized test scores are a focal point, such views potentially ignore centuries-old criticisms in East-Asian nations concerning national examinations. The imperial examination system was a seemingly efficient and convenient approach to selecting government elites that produced diligent students and punctual educators; nonetheless, it also had significant drawbacks with respect to innovation and societal progress. Thus, the author examines this educational approach from a historical perspective, and compares it to the methods adopted by Europe and Japan.

A Model of Institutional Complementarities in Ancient China

In ancient China, the county system and feudalism were the possible government organizational forms. Government officials might be selected through recommendations and examinations. The centralization of authority in the hands of emperors was achieved through a group of institutions such as the county system, the Imperial Examination System, and the division of authority among government officials. This paper provides a systematic interpretation of the interrelationship among this group of institutions and studies institutional complementarities in a model. It is shown that an increase in the degree of increasing returns in the military sector will increase the ruler’s incentive to adopt the county system. Institutional complementarities between the adoption of the Imperial Examination System and the division of authority among officials under the county system are established. A decrease in the level of coordination costs of elite increases the ruler’s incentive to choose a higher degree of the division of authority.

Long Live Keju! The Persistent Effects of China's Imperial Examination System

The effect of keju — China’s imperial examination system (607-1905) — on human capital outcomes persists to this day. Using the variation in the density of jinshi — the highest qualification — across 248 Chinese prefectures to proxy for the keju effect, and river distance to a prefecture’s nearest printing center as instrument, we find that a 1% increase in jinshi density increases years of schooling by 6.6%. After controlling for the effects of human capital of both ancestors and parents, the Chinese culture of valuing education — bred likely by the exceptional social status of the jinshi — represents the other channel in accounting for the observed persistence. A quasi-experiment of college students from all over China studying in Beijing further reveals that the jinshi density in their hometowns bears significantly upon their cognitive skills and non-cognitive performance. Finally, cultural transmission is aided by clans and weakened by the Cultural Revolution.

“何論”考

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.
 陸游《老學庵筆記》對唐人科考“何論”的記載屬於誤解，“何論”是唐人對何晏《論語集解》的省稱，或徑指《論語》，而非陸游所推測的比較型論説文。兩宋科考中的確有比較型論説文一類文題，但在北宋以前無專名，在南宋則常以“如何論”爲題名。
 In his Miscellanies of the Old Student’s Studio, Lu You (1125-1210) presents a misunderstanding of the term “He lun,” which occurs in the context of the Tang-dynasty imperial examination system. Lu surmises that the term refers to a specific type of argumentative essay requiring the literary devices of comparing and contrasting. In fact, the term was used by Tang people as an abbreviation of He Yan’s (d. 249) Collected Commentaries on Confucius’ Analects. In some cases it simply refers to the Analects itself. In the Tang-Song period, there were indeed essay questions needing to be answered in the form of comparison when making arguments in the imperial examinations. Nonetheless, no proper name was assigned to this specific essay type prior to the Northern Song (960-1127). It was often referred to as “the way to argue” (ru he lun) in the Southern Song (1127-1279).

On the Trace of Scatter Matrix Difference: A Convex Approximate Discriminant Analysis Formulation and Its Mechanism Research in Imperial Examination System

In this paper, we present a convex discriminant analysis formulation, which is extended to solve multi-label classification problems. The original Linear Discriminant Analysis energy optimization function is turned into another form as a convex formulation (namely, convex Approximate LDA, denoted as “convexALDA” for short) using the generalized eigen-decomposition. We give applications by incorporating convexALDA as a regularizer into discriminant regression analysis. Extensive experimental results on multi-label classification tasks and an extensive application scenario on communication characteristics of imperial examination system are provided. In this way we have a brand-new comprehension for it, and a new idea and method was also put forward for studying the system.

English

  The concept of assessment is one of the most important practices in any education system across the globe. Tracing the concept probably to the time immemorial through the Chinese Imperial Examination System in the fifteenth century, the notion of assessment seems to have proved to be one of the indispensable markers of selection, placement and certification in modern education. In order to understand the concept, it is crucial to focus, among others, on the education system within which the notion itself is situated. As a crucial aspect of any education system, assessment is such that learners, at almost all levels of education, are subjected to a certain conventional practice with a view to categorising them according to certain pre-determined achievements. Perhaps, to examine the concept, we shall address ourselves to some of the specific questions as in who assesses whom? What form of assessment? How and why is such an assessment? On what premise is such educational assessment of learners in a particular education system? The paper intended to critically trace assessment in the context of Lesotho. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of subjectification, the paper intends to demonstrate the instrumentality of assessment as used in schools in the Kingdom. The paper concludes by suggesting alternative models of assessment so as to keep abreast with the twenty first century challenges facing modern education system.    Key words: Traditional assessment, subjectification tool, schools, Lesotho.

Path Dependence and the Authoritarian Regime in Traditional Chinese Culture: a Historical Institutionalism Framework of Analysis

The democratic situation in China is deeply influenced by the traditional culture. This article attempt to answer the question why there is no democracy in Chinese traditional culture from historical institutionalism perspective. Path dependence plays the vital role in this process. The starting point is set in Qin Dynasty. After that, the authoritarian regime has been strengthened from four aspects: the bureaucratic system, the Confucian theory, the imperial examination system, and rewards and punishing measures. These measures work from the institutions to people’s inner world. The authoritarian culture became the orthodox value in Chinese traditional culture. The authoritarian regime and traditional culture have been intertwined and strengthened each other. That is a process of path dependence from historical institutionalism perspective. This article shows us a framework of how to observe this process.

Path Dependence and the Authoritarian Regime in Traditional Chinese Culture: A Historical Institutionalism Framework of Analysis

The democratic transition in China seems to be more difficult than the European countries. Especially after three decades economic reform, the debates about the future direction of democratization become more heated than ever. This article analyzes the influences of traditional culture on democratization from historical institutionalism perspective. The article gives out four dimensions framework to explain the path dependence of traditional authoritarian culture. These four dimensions include: the bureaucratic system, Confucian theory, the imperial examination system, and rewards and punishing measures. It explains why the authoritarian culture could be accepted by the public and how it influences peoples’ behavior.

The Min Culture is recorded in NoYin “Gemkye Diary”－Focusing on Cultural Academy and academic thinking, and the imperial examination system－

The Min Culture is recorded in NoYin “Gemkye Diary”－Focusing on Cultural Academy and academic thinking, and the imperial examination system－