孟德斯鸠启蒙思想中理性与信仰的协同关系

On the Relationship Between Reason and Belief in Montesquieu’s Enlightenment Thought

理性与信仰是不同种类、不同程度的知识来源,孟德斯鸠确信"对人民进行启蒙并非无关紧要",而理性与信仰能协同合力促成人民的启蒙。不同于人们普遍认为的启蒙思想家通常高扬理性精神来批判封建神学和宗教思想,本文考察孟德斯鸠政治思想,指出他既高举理性大旗从事资本主义宪政制度设计,又虔诚地信仰天主教,主张有神论、宗教宽容和信仰自由具有重要的政治意义,与其政治的理性设计是相辅相成的,因此强调理性与信仰各司其职,它们之间应该是协同合作关系,而非张力甚至对立关系,而这正是其启蒙思想在政治领域中的精髓。我们不妨借用福柯的知识谱系学来审视孟德斯鸠此种启蒙思想观:宗教信仰知识相较于启蒙理性知识并不代表着黑暗、无知、幻想、偏见、乖谬;理性与信仰之间存在的只是两种不同知识之间的互动关系,而非光明驱散黑暗的排斥关系。于是,就孟德斯鸠所揭示的理性与信仰的此种真实关系而言,启蒙思想及其精神价值需重新定位和评估。我们只有通过聚焦理性与信仰之间的协同互补关系,才能全面深入地探讨西方近代宪政思想,才能展现和揭示启蒙精神的真正思想内涵。

Reason and belief are sources of knowledge of different kinds and degrees.Modern Enlightenment philosophers’discussion on the relationship between the two constitutes their unique characteristics of Enlightenment thought.Montesquieu believed that"it is not insignificant to enlighten the people,"and that reason and belief can collaborative work together to promote the Enlightenment of the people.Different from the generally accepted view that Enlightenment thinkers usually hold high the spirit of reason to criticize feudal theology and religious thought,Montesquieu not only held high the banner of reason to design capitalist constitutional system,but also devoutly believed in Catholicism,highly praised Christianity,advocated theism,religious tolerance and freedom of belief,emphasized that reason and belief performed their respective duties,and asserted that there should be a contradiction between them.Therefore,the essence of Enlightenment is deeply expounded by Montesquieu not only in the field of political system but also in the field of religious belief.It was only by adhering to the unique enlightenment idea of the coordination between reason and belief that Montesquieu believed that he had devoted everything to reason and religion before he died.We may as well use Foucault’s genealogy of knowledge to examine Montesquieu’s view of Enlightenment:compared with the rational knowledge of Enlightenment,the knowledge of religious belief does not represent darkness,ignorance,fantasy,prejudice and absurdity.What exists between reason and belief is the interaction or even fighting relationship between two different kinds of knowledge,rather than the exclusion relationship between light and darkness.Therefore,in terms of the real relationship between reason and belief revealed by Montesquieu,The Enlightenment and its spiritual value need to be repositioned and evaluated.In a word,only by focusing on the synergistic and complementary relationship between reason and belief,can we fully and deeply explore the modern Western constitutional thought,reveal the real ideological connotation of the enlightenment spirit,and get rid of the binary opposition mode of thinking.