政制·宗教·教育——约翰·亚当斯论政治与道德的关系

Constitution,Religion and Education:John Adams's Viewpoint on the Relationship Between Politics and Morality

现代政治和政治学兴起的根源在于各民族国家形成过程中经济的、政治的和军事的冲突,而且得益于文艺复兴以来的科学的研究方法。约翰·亚当斯继承和发展了马基雅维利的共和政体理论,但在道德与政治的关系的问题上有不同的认识。他更关心政制、宗教、普遍的国民教育与共和国的道德风俗之间的相互关系。他指出共和政治的运转应当主要依靠平衡政体所建立的法治而非道德,但是共和国有责任和义务通过鼓励宗教信仰和推行教育提高人民的道德水平,同时人民道德水平的提高有助于巩固平衡政体,维护共和国的稳定。平衡政体与道德两者互补共同为共和政治的纲要。

In modern times,Machiavelli was believed to have liberated politics from the ethics and he becamed the founder of modern politics. The viewpoint that politics and morality were two independent kingdoms had almost become an unalterable statement. In fact,the rise of modern politics was rooted in the economic,political and martial conflict in the process of the formation of nation-state,and benefited from the scientific research methods since the Renaissance. John Adams inherited and developed Machiavelli's republicanism theory,but for the relationship between morality and political,he paid more attention to the interrelationship of moral customs and balance constitution. He pointed out that politics and morality should not harm each other,the operation of republic politics should rely mainly on the system architecture of the rule of law instead of morality,a free government had the responsibility and obligation to improve people's moral level by encouraging religious belief and education,and people's moral level would help to strengthen the balanced polity and maintain the stability of the Republic. The two complementary together were key point for the republic.