功利主义与公共政策伦理:如何从冲突走向和谐

Utilitarianism and Ethics of Public Policy in China:From Conflicts to Harmony

古典功利主义以"趋利避害"的人性主张为出发点构建其理论,功利原则和"最大多数人的最大幸福"是其公共政策伦理的基本价值诉求。然而,功利主义的基本主张却存在明显的逻辑缺陷,以功利主义为价值规范的公共政策具有结果性、经济性、短期性、失衡性等特征,必然导致政策之逻辑冲突和实践困境。由于它无法解决公平分配问题,无法保障所有人的权利和利益,其决策价值位序无法立足当代社会,而且容易导致公共政策的自利性。因此,公共政策伦理应该拒绝经济理性人假设,明晰公共权力的公共性及公共责任,以公平正义为首要价值,实现从功利主义政策向公平政策的转变,与时俱进地追求科学的可持续发展。唯有如此,政府才能从根本上解决政策冲突及其实践困境,社会才能从冲突走向和谐。

Classical utilitarianism took the quality of ＂profit-driven and harm-avoiding＂ as human nature to construct its theory. The principle of utility as well as ＂the greatest number＇s greatest happiness＂ is the fundamental value orientation of public policy ethics. However, there are obvious logic defects in the basic viewpoints of utilitarianism. Policies taking utilitarianism as their value regulations are outcome-oriented, economic, short-sighted and unbalanced. Logic conflicts and practical dilemmas result from such regulative standards of public policy as it is unable to guarantee everyone＇s rights and benefits without solving the problem of fair distribution. Its sequence of decision-making values cannot be based and exercised in the contemporary society. Furthermore, it is easy to result in self-orientation of public policy. Thus, public policy should take fairness and justice as its primary value to realize the innovation from utilitarian policies to fair ones and pursue scientific and sustainable development with the progression of times by rejecting the hypothesis of persons as economic rational being and clarifying its publicity of public power and public duties. Only by this can policy conflicts and realistic dilemmas be solved thoroughly by the government and the society be changed from conflicts to harmony.