Works of Mr. He Ziqi for his 80th Birthday Celebration

Author: Shen Zhihua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Bloch, in his two-volume masterpiece Feudal Society, almost entirely discusses Western European Feudalism, dedicating only 10 pages to exploring its universality. After summarizing the basic characteristics of Western feudalism, he points out, "A social structure with these features must bear the imprint of a specific era and environment." Could feudal society, like matrilineal or patrilineal societies, be a stage in the historical development of human society? Indeed, Bloch proposed such a hypothesis, but he did not simply draw conclusions based on it; instead, he relied on empirical evidence. Bloch, undoubtedly a great historian, believed that any hypothesis could be proposed, but conclusions could only be drawn after individual case analyses. However, he noted, "The comparative research involved here clearly exceeds the capacity of a single individual," so outside of Europe, he only examined the case of Japan. The division of political power after the 11th century, the rise of the warrior class, and the emergence of manors in Japan bear some resemblance to Western Feudalism, but not entirely. The factors of "simulated blood relations" and the "oath system" are clearly different from those in Europe. Bloch then pointed out that "Japan's vassalage system represents a more extreme form of subordination than Europe's, with far fewer contractual elements." Moreover, it did not allow vassals to establish "manors with broad power over the estates, serving their own interests." The few and highly scattered manors established were not typical of the manorialized regions in Europe. Clearly, Bloch's view that Western feudalism is universal remains a hypothesis at best, extending mostly to Japan, and even there, with reservations. He further summarized: "Japan's vassal subordination is largely one-sided, and the sacred power of the emperor lies outside the oath system of the vassals. In this regard, it is no coincidence that a system so similar to Western feudalism in many aspects did not produce a comparable situation." It is worth noting that the final chapter of Bloch's Feudal Society, titled "The Persistence of European Feudalism," offers a rather brilliant critique of Western Feudalism, viewing it not only as a historical process but also as a valuable legacy for modern society, particularly emphasizing the warrior concept and the concept of contracts. He states that in Europe, vassal submission was a true contract, and a two-way contract. Once this "contractual" concept was transplanted to a broader political sphere, it inevitably limited the power of the monarchy. P59