《水浒》是一部什么性质的作品,应该怎样评价《水浒》中宋江这一艺术形象?对于这两个问题、尤其是后一问题,文学史工作者原来就存在不同的学术见解,近年来更被“四人帮”搅得十分混乱。如果从历史上看,情况也是很复杂的。围绕着《水浒》不但产生过一些截然相反的观点和态度,并且还一再发生尖锐激烈的阶级斗争。然而,也正是因为《水浒》引起了全然不同的反应,使得我们可以根据几百年来它所产生的社会效果,根据不同阶级的人们对它所作的相反评价,得出比较公允的结论。澄清这个问题,具有方法论的意义,有利于我们清算和摈弃那种强人证已、穿凿附会的反历史主义方法,在文学史研究中贯彻历史唯物主义精神。 How to evaluate the artistic image of Song Jiang in The Water Margin? For these two problems, especially the latter one, there are different academic opinions on the history of literature historians. In recent years, It was even more confused by the Gang of Four. If historically, the situation is also very complicated. Surrounding Water Margin not only produced some diametrically opposite views and attitudes, but also repeatedly and sharply violent class struggle. However, precisely because Water Margin elicited an entirely different response, we can draw a fair conclusion based on the social effects it has had for centuries and on the contrary assessment made by people of different classes. Clarifying this issue is of methodological significance, which helps us to liquidate and abandon the anti-historicist method of employing strong evidence against the will and implementing the spirit of historical materialism in the study of literary history.