在自由与公义彼此交错之中寻找德性

Searching for the Virtue by Uncovering the Relation between Freedom and Justice

本文讨论了相容论、社会契约论和正义论,目的在于弄清楚这三个理论在说明人的德性是什么时,需要用上一个怎样才能够理解的道德责任的概念。(一)在相容论者看来,纵使人的行为离不开现实的因果链,但仍然可以体现行为的自主性。这是由于人在反省行事之是非时假定了人有可能不做此事而做彼事,正是人的道德责任感让相容论者觉得人有理由接受这个假设。他们相信不认识道德责任,便没有道德反省的可能,因此,拿道德责任来代表人的德性,并不为过。然而,怎样理解道德责任,仍需深究。(二)洛克的社会契约论以人的自由和私产作为自尊的精神与物质基础,与人的生存权并列为三个基本人权。而人权的体现主要在于通过社会契约落实缔约者的公民身份,从而授权政府执法,以保障人权。自此,关乎公义与自由的维护责任便分了家,一方面是政府守护人权、尊重民意,平等对待公民,以彰显公义;另一方面则是公民凭借其自由和财富发展自己,创造未来,以彰显人权的伟大。这种安排让契约论者回答不上人的德性是什么的问题,因为这样的安排容许公民把维护公义的责任交付他人,这不是德性的表现方式。(三)罗尔斯的正义论是个新契约论,它把维护公义和自由的责任全归掌权者,以免道德责任分家,结果遗漏了其他人的责任,与旧契约论一样,难以说明人的德性是什么。本文向新旧契约论建议,把焦点从公义与自由(或人权)的关系转到公义与自尊的关系上,便会掌握好道德责任这个概念,借此说明好人的德性是什么。

In this article,compatibilism is drawn to demonstrate the essential role that the concept of responsibility has played in the explication of the concept of virtue.The demonstration is followed by the criticisms of Locke's social contract theory and Rawls's theory of justice for their improper use of the key concept of moral responsibility in facilitating the same explication,due to their defective understanding of the concept in question.It is pointed out that Locke is wrong to spare ordinary citizens from the responsibility of defending justice whereas Rawls is even more wrong to spare them from one more responsibility,namely,the defense of freedom.Both theorists did not get it right in allocating moral responsibilities because they did not appreciate the essential role of self esteem in formulating one's moral order.People who are serious about their self-esteem would not let others take care of it on their behalf even for a short while.In fact,no one is in the position to defend someone else's self-esteem.And whoever fails to address personally the issues of justice and freedom would find his self-esteem threatened.What we mean by being virtuous is about the virtuous practice of a person who has balanced cares of all individual virtues within a moral order.Such a virtuous practice is about a kind of moral responsibilities committed by him in his whole life.In other words,a life-long commitment to virtuous practice is all that matters to the characterization of virtue.