自清代趙翼論〈南朝多以寒人掌機要〉以來，南朝君主以寒人當權之說，幾乎已成學界定論；近人田餘慶則更進一步，認為嚴格意義的「門閥政治」只存在於東晉時期，至南朝即回歸「皇權政治」。本文基於南朝寒人得以在中央掌機要多因任職中書舍人，故從史傳所見任中書舍人之職者入手，重新檢視南朝「寒人掌機要」的實情，認為前述諸說皆有商榷之餘地。 本文認為南朝時期並非任中書舍人者就必然能掌大權，而南朝只在少數、特定時期才有中書舍人本份以外的「掌機要」情形，至於中書舍人權勢達到專制朝權的情形，在南朝四代170 年間（420-589），合計約只有二、三十年，因此南朝以中書舍人「掌機要」的現象不宜過度地誇大，「寒人掌機要」在整個南朝史中只是個別、短暫的現象，以往以「寒人掌機要」來理解南朝的政治史並不精確。 南朝的政治史確實與東晉有所不同，但未必如田餘慶簡單地說是由門閥政治回歸到皇權政治，南朝政治是以寒門出身的軍閥皇帝結合門閥士族的共治局面為常態，而非門閥士族完全被寒人架空的寒人政治，南朝時期皇帝重拾政治上的主導地位，門閥士族退居輔佐，但彼此間仍隱含有「共天下」的意味，只是和東晉時期皇帝與士族的「共天下」相比，「主客易位」而已。

The academic circles have almost deeply been convinced that the emperors in the Southern Dynasties assigned people with lower social positions to assume the power ever since Chiao I in Ching Dynasty presented the theory that most of the time people of humble birth were in charge of confidential work in the Southern Dynasties. Nevertheless, the research considers there is really ample room for doubt as to Chiao’s remarks that people of humble origins being in charge of the confidential work. Moreover, the research, based on the fact that people of humble birth being in charge of the confidential work in the government of the Southern Dynasties were mainly assigned to the position of the emperors’ secretaries then, would like to recheck the real facts about the humble social inferiors’ work assignment and position in the Southern Dynasties by studying more historical materials culled from historical biographies on those who were assigned to the position of emperors’ secretaries. The research is confirmed that it seems improper to overestimate the phenomenon that people of humble origins being in charge of the confidential work in that, after all, it is just a peculiar and temporary situation in the history of the Southern Dynasties. Besides, it has been imprecise for the academic circles over the past years to figure out the history of the Southern Dynasties merely in terms of the humble social inferiors’ work assignment and position. In reality, it was quite common that the emperors with military identity springing from humble origins intertwined with the powerful aristocratic family to dominate the political affairs of the Southern Dynasties altogether rather than those with humble origins totally seized power from the powerful hereditary family in politics.