“势”及其对于理解国际政治和中国外交的独特价值

An Analysis of Shi and Its Unique Value for Understanding International Politics and China’s Diplomacy

中华传统文化用"势"的概念来诠释物或人因权力、地位、格局和发展趋向等因素而生发出原本没有或相对于他者更强的变革能力的特性。虽然"势"的涵义与现有西方国际关系理论中"力"的概念最为接近,但"势"并不完全等同于"力"。在国际政治的发展过程中经常会出现"势""力"相悖和"势""力"错位的情形。如果说"力"使国家能够在国际政治中作为独立行为体行事,那么"势"则决定国家的行为取向。"势"与"力"是否相称、能否相济在很大程度上决定一国对待现行世界秩序的基本态度。国家间的"势"对比跟"力"对比一道决定国际体系的基本结构及其稳定性。中国人在思维方式上贵"势"不贵"力",提出了系统的用"势"之道。其中,"度势""随势"和"谋势"最为重要,并深刻地影响着当代中国外交的理论与实践。"势"作为中华经典国际关系概念,极具中国特色,反映了中国人的战略思维,在当代仍然具有鲜活生命力,对理解当代国际政治和中国外交具有重要指导价值,且可以在一定程度上弥补现有西方国际关系理论的缺失。

In Chinese traditional culture,the concept shi has been referred as a propensity when people or things have acquired transforming power,which they do not have originally or are not as strong as their peers,due to their unique power and/or position,or some distinct configurations and/or trends of development that are beyond their control.The Chinese concept shi is very similar to the concept"power"in current western international relations theory.However,they are not identical.In the evolution of international politics,shi and"power"are sometimes consistent,but contradictory at other times."Power"makes a state behave as an independent actor;shi determines the orientations of a state’s behavior.Whether shi and"power"are parallel and correlating to each other,it will,to some extent,determine a state’s general attitude towards the world order.The balance of shi,in addition to the balance of"power"among states,dictates the basic structure of the international system and its stability.As the Chinese way of thinking in favor of shi more than"power",they have systemically proposed ways of using the shi to deal with everything in their lives,among which"judging the shi,""following the shi"and"shaping the shi"are still exerting significant influences on contemporary China’s foreign engagement in both theory and practice.As a classical Chinese concept of international relations,shi is very Chinese,reflecting the Chinese way of strategic thinking.Also,it is still of great vitality in today’s world,and is key to understand international politics in general and China’s foreign policy in particular.Thus,the concept shi is arguably complementary to the existent western international relations theory.