宋代是一個儒將輩出的時代，這與宋代「文臣統兵」的傳統有極大的關係。在北宋仁宗慶曆年間(1041-1048)，文臣逐漸取代武臣，取得各地軍隊的控制權，並主導邊境防務，形成所謂宋代「文臣統兵」的傳統。本文探討一些較武臣不熟悉軍務的北宋士人，入朝為文臣後，如何從不同面向將「文臣統兵」予以合理化。首先，提倡儒將的文臣以「才兼文武」作為統帥的先備條件，認為只有文臣有文化素養，有智謀，有能力兼掌地區兵民，並維繫區域的秩序。其次，他們將文臣定位為在後方規畫戰局的指揮者，而將武臣定位為上陣殺敵的「鬥將」，只能任偏將受到文臣統帥的指揮。最後，他們質疑武臣對朝廷的忠誠，主張在邊區統兵的武帥，會威脅宋政權的長治久安。質言之，對文臣統兵論者而言，文臣統兵可行且應行。

Generals with a civil background (“Confucian generals”) came out in large numbers in Song China. This phenomenon correlated closely with the Song government’s policy, “civil officials command troops” (文臣統兵), which appointed civil officials as military regional commanders. In Song China, literati, who became civil officials after entering the political stratum, were considered to be more familiar with Confucianism than with military affairs. However, after the Qingli 慶曆Period (1041-1048), the Song government gradually began to appoint civil officials to military regional commanding posts, asking them to control armies and manage border defense. This article discusses several types of literati arguments justifying the “civil officials command troops” policy. First, supporters of the policy thought that military regional commanders should have the ability to combine literary and military talents. That is, they thought civil officials, not military officials, had the ability to administer both soldiers and common people and maintain social and political order in military regions. Second, supporters of the “civil officials command troops” policy positioned civil officials as plan-makers during the war and military officials as “fighting generals” who could only be assistant generals and follow the martial plans laid out by civil officials. Finally, supporters of the policy doubted the loyalty of military officials, arguing that they might rebel against the government, causing it to collapse. In sum, for literati who supported the “civil officials command troops” policy, civil officials could and should be military regional commanders.