洛克公民社会思想初探

On Locke's Idea of Civil Society

按照洛克的公民社会思想,"自然状态"虽有美好的一面,但又有恶的、缺陷的一面,因而人们需要在自然法的指导下,走出自然状态,达成契约,构建公民社会,并实行权力分立而分割国家权力,对国家权力进行制约和平衡,以实现"自然状态"中美好的一面,克服其不好的一面。公民社会(国家)因此可能成为人们协议的产物,人们在国家内享有各种权利。这样,就在公民社会与政治国家之间,形成了一个以维护公民权利、自由和平等为目的的良性生态回路,使公民在放弃中实现了索取。

According to Locke＇s idea of civil society, ＂natural state＂, though with some advantages, has some evils and defects. Therefore, people need to, under the direction of natural law, walk out of natural state to reach agreement and construct civil society, and check and balance state power through power division so as to realize the advantages of natural state while overcoming the evils and defects. Civil society （state） can therefore become the result of agreement among people, who enjoy various rights in a state. In this way, there forms a benign cycle between civil society and political state which aims to maintain civil rights, freedom and equality, enabling the people to secure something while surrender other.