本計畫旨在研究近世地方社會的先賢、鄉賢傳統之演變積累過程，以期深入瞭解其中延續與變化之複雜因素。隨著宋代科舉社會形成，士人階層逐漸擴大，地方社會崇敬鄉里前賢傳統有了進一步發展。目前，相關研究已對宋代地方社會崇敬鄉里前賢的情況有所論述，但細閱宋、元、明清時期相關史料，會發現這些宋代地方先賢、鄉賢的生平行實，與後世追思懷念的形象有差距。其中，方志人物傳的編纂自宋代更為地方重視，目的除勸勉後輩追思效法前賢，日後更影響大眾對該地區的認識與歷史記憶。意即這些人物的選擇標準、行誼記述，直觀多認為是隱惡揚善且由編纂者、在地人士決定。實際上，亦不乏有刪改與批評情況，並無法避免受到外界對該人物的評價與大環境變化等外部因素影響，最後方為後人所知曉的印象與記憶。因此，本計畫預期對其間的諸般多重原因進行細緻討論，兩年時間完成二篇論文，投稿優良期刊。研究方法上，將以宋代四明地區前賢為對象，關注各種史料、二手研究對他們的生平描述異同，並比較宋、元、明中葉之前各不同時期四明方志人物傳記載，藉由在世行誼、是非功過與後人印象的相同與差別，瞭解其中的複雜轉折，彼此間的互動影響，以期對深化近世社會發展變遷的瞭解作出貢獻。
The purpose of this research is to deepen our understanding of worship tradition toward local worthies in the Early Modern Chinese Era, looking forward to investigating why this rite would continue and transform for long time. From examination of historical materials of the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, it will be concluded that those local worthies were narrated with different images. Particularly, the biographical writings in the local gazetteers demonstrate different judgment upon local worthies given that their stories were accomplished with times and generations. In addition, biographies were possibly written with various factors. The editors, not always based on the truth, might criticize or modify the narratives with a variety of intentions. In this project, the author will employ the biographies of Song Dynasty’s local worthies in the area of Ssu-Ming (四明，current city of Ningbo）as the basis, comparing similar narratives of Ssu-Ming Local Gazetteers in the following Yuan and Ming Dynasties. The author hopes to uncover complex factors for the transformation of worship tradition that drew local worthies with changeable images and values.
