由墓誌銘看二程對婦女的書寫

Women’s tomb inscriptions and descriptions of deed written by Neo-Cpnfucians are different from general impression. Among them, three pieces (two tomb inscriptions and a biography), “the Tomb Inscription of Ch’an,” “the Tomb Inscription of Filial Nee Ch’eng,” and “Biography of Mrs. Ch’eng of Shang-ku Chun,” by Ch’eng Brothers are worth special attention. We could comprehend women in the Sung dynasty have the sovereignty of lives, the selectivity of marriage, even the possibility of search Tao-hsueh by these three epitaphs describing women’s image or women’s roles in the families. Ch’eng brothers pursued to build a harmonious place. Everyone must charge his/her responsibility in a harmonious place. Ch’eng Brothers comprehend the moral accomplishment carried out but by different ways, whatever he or she (sexual distinction), everyone could pursue Tao. For the reason they consider women would get the linage orders in the families just like men. In the sense of principle, the assignment of jobs in the families still maintain the situation— 「men hold the affairs in the society, and women hold the affairs in the family」. (男主外、女主內) Besides, they could comprehend women maintain some kinds of freedom including the second marriage. To choose and decide women’s marriage is not only to keep personal virginity, but also to cultivate the life of herself noticeably. This essay focuses the subjects of women of the view of the Ch’eng Brothers. Tao-hsueh scholars concern the aspects of women by their descriptions. We would not denounce Tao-hsueh scholars’ strong moralization on controlling women in Sung. We would not oppose the view that men play more important roles than women in the society for a long time neither. This essay just provides one new view to observe the deep expectations on women of Ch’eng Brothers.