本文從《禮物——古式社會中交換的形式與理由》一書的經驗線索,即以波利尼西亞的贈禮制度、美拉尼西亞的庫拉、西北美洲的夸富宴為主線,在不同的呈獻體系中展現古式社會的禮物交換形式。禮物交換中普遍存在著的"送禮、回禮、收禮"義務,使得禮物形成一個流動圈,進而形成一個禮尚往來的社會。禮物之靈賦予禮物一種人與物、主觀與客觀的共融的特點,體現了禮物的社會性、整體性。禮物交換不僅是個人行為,更是部落間、氏族間的行為。古式社會中禮尚往來的特點表現為:從非競爭式交換到競爭式交換、從平衡式交換到不平衡式交換、從被動交換到主動交換的發展,體現了莫斯的進化論視角。重新回顧、梳理古式社會中禮物交換的現象,明晰古式社會禮尚往來的形成、發展機制,有很重要的現實意義。

This paper shows the forms of gift exchange in different presentation. It clues the giftgiving system in Polynesie, Melanesie's Kula and the Pot latch in the northwest America. Generally there are obligations to give a gift, to return a gift and to accept a gift, which makes gift exchange form a gift flowing circle and a society. The gift spirit enables gift a characteristic, and it means that gift is a eutectic thing of human and things, subjective and objective. It reflects the gift exchange's sociability and integrity. Not only is the gift exchange a personal behavior, it is a behavior between tribes and clans. The traits of gift exchange in archaic society are from balanced exchange to unbalanced exchange, from passive exchange to active exchange. Mauss is an evolutionist. Reviewing and retrospecting the gift exchange in archaic society, knowing its form and developing mechanism has very important practical significance.