公文书信在社会诸领域所发挥的功能都是在宏观问题上。然而,社会结构是复杂的,宏观领域含有微观分支,人的政治主张、政治态度、政治思想、军事战术、自然观、生死观、人生观、宗教观、友谊观等等都属于政治、军事、文化方面的微观分支。私人通信的主要功能,就是深入到各社会领域微观分支发挥作用。探讨私人通信的社会功能,对于认识为什么魏晋南北朝时期私人通信的比重猛增,及其对书信礼仪系统化的影响有着十分重要的意义。
Official correspondence usually plays a role in social fields on macro level. However, the social structure is complicated, there are many micro branches under the macro realm which include political view, politieal attitude, political thought, military strategy, view of nature, philosophy about life and death, view of life, religions outlook, views on friendship, etc. The private correspondence mainly functioned in social fields on micro level. It is of significance to explore the social functions of private correspondence, which can make clear the reason why private correspondence increased dramatically and influenced on the systematization of writing manners in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.