现代公共领域及其特性——查尔斯·泰勒的公共领域概念评析

Modern Public Sphere and Its Characteristics——Reviewing Charles Taylor's Concept of Public Sphere

在加拿大政治哲学家查尔斯·泰勒看来,公共领域是一个元主题性的、极端世俗化的、外在于政治的公共空间,其中的社会成员能够在不受权力约束的情况下进行关于权力的理性对话并达成共识,从而形成制约权力的公众舆论。公众舆论的价值在于它以不同于权力相互制约的方式对政府发生作用,而政府不论从明智的视角还是从道义的视角来看都应当听从于公众舆论。相对于政治领域而言,公共领域具有规范性地位。

In view of Charles Taylor, a Canadian political philosopher, the public sphere is unitary, radically common and extra-political public space, where people can carry on a discourse of reason on and to power, rather than by power and come to a consensus, and then constitute the public opinion which can restrict power. The importance of the public opinion is that it can take effect on the government in some way instead of powers restricting each other, and the government should be wise and morally bound to follow it. To the political sphere, the public sphere is on the normative status.