費孝通在20世紀40年代關于鄉村經濟與社會的系列研究受英國經濟史學家托尼的影響頗深。本文通過對兩人的文本分析比較,指出:(1)托尼關于英國從農業現代化到工業現代化的分析,構成了費孝通的江村和祿村經濟轉型的參照。(2)托尼的"紳士理論"也成為費孝通討論紳士功能的基礎。但費孝通并非照搬托尼的思路,在農業的園藝學轉型和紳士類型等問題上,他都有不同于托尼的地方。并且,對于費孝通來說,"國家"的角色在其社會理論和實踐中處于相對消極的位置。費孝通從共同體、知識分子、世界市場和國家四個要素的相互關系來構建中國的現代化轉型方案。他對中國作為世界體系的后發參與者如何獲得經濟自主性的思考,在今天仍有參考價值。

Fei Xiaotong’s work on rural economy and society in the 1940 s was deeply indebted to English economic historian R. H. Tawney. By comparing their texts,this article reveals at least two connections between their works. First,Tawney’s analysis of the English modernization,which depicts the transition from agricultural modernization to industrial modernization serves as a reference framework for Fei. Second,Tawney’s"theory of gentry"also serves as the starting point for Fei’s functional theory of the Chinese gentry. However,Fei does not simply follow Tawney’s steps. Instead,he offers unique insights into the problems of horticulture transformation and gentry types in China. Furthermore,Fei considers the role of state as more passive. The interrelation of the community,market,intellectuals and state constitutes Fei’s modernization scheme.His idea about how China as a later participant of the world system can maintain economic autonomy is still valuable today.