取士：科举制度的观念基础

On the Conceptual Basis of the Imperial Examination System

面向社会选取统治人才是中国古代社会统治理念中的一项重要内容。这种取士观念的形成得益于早期中国历史发展的若干因素，随后成为支配历代统治者的一种基本思维模式，并构成了各种形式取士制度如察举和科举的观念基础。取士的观念作为一种长时间观念，构成科举制度长期存在的一个重要证明。

Recruiting talents for the empire was an important issue in ancient Chinese reigning theory. Several factors in the development of early Chinese history had contributed to the formation of a mechanism for civil recruitment which has later become a fixed pattern of thinking for the dynastic rulers and the conceptual basis of various recruitment systems including the ”scrutiny method” and “the imperial examination system”. The idea of recruiting “shi”， as a conception of lougue dureé， was an important reason for the longevity of the imperial examination system.