支持死刑和反对自杀在康德的道德哲学中自洽吗?

Is It Consistent for Kant to Support Capital Punishment and Oppose Suicide in His Moral Philosophy?

在法哲学领域,康德一直被认为是一个铁杆的报应主义者(retributivist),而他对死刑的支持态度也在学界众所周知。近年来,欧美学界流行一种新的观点。这种新观点认为:康德的死刑学说并不能在他的伦理学框架里面自洽。于是,出现另一批学者为康德的死刑学说辩护。笔者认为,这些辩护普遍不成功。因为康德的死刑学说里面出现了一个难解的二难困境(dilemma):一方面,康德对死刑的支持和他的道德绝对命令似乎存在张力;另一方面,康德支持死刑的理由似乎和他反对自杀的理由相悖。该困境的难解之处在于:如果解决了第一个问题就会导致第二个问题无解;反之,如果解决了第二个问题就会导致第一个问题无解。笔者将提出一个新的思路来理解康德的死刑学说:死刑之所以正当是因为它既能为法权原则接受,又能为德行原则接受。自杀之所以不正当是因为它不能为德行原则接受。死刑和自杀的道德证明之所以没有互相冲突是因为二者皆能被法权原则接受。

Kant is widely considered a diehard advocate of retributivism in legal philosophy and famously supported capital punishment.However,a new idea has gained widespread support among scholars that Kant's support of capital punishment is incompatible with his ethical framework.Some Kantianists attempt to defend Kant's theory,but this article argues that their defenses are unsuccessful due to a dilemma in Kant's theory.On one hand,the categorical imperative in Kant's moral philosophy likely rejects capital punishment.On the other hand,Kant's reasons for capital punishment seem inconsistent with his reasons against suicide.If capital punishment is justifiable by the categorical imperative,then the inconsistency with Kant's objection to suicide cannot be resolved.If the justification for capital punishment is consistent with Kant's objection to suicide,then the categorical imperative rejects capital punishment.This article argues that Kant's theory of capital punishment is compatible with his ethical framework because both capital punishment and suicide are justifiable by the doctrine of right.Kant condemned suicide merely for its violation of doctrine of virtue.Therefore,the dilemma can be resolved.