二十世纪中国学界对“专制”概念的理解与法家思想研究

Chinese Scholars’ Understanding of Conception of Despotism in the 20th Century and the Study of the Pre-Qin Legalists

近代西方和日本的"专制中国"印象及"专制"概念深刻影响了20世纪的传统思想研究。"专制"概念的多义性以及现代学界对"专制"内涵理解的侧重点不同,导致了相关学术观点的分歧。20世纪的法家思想研究主要有两种分析模式,一种思路强调思想动机与客观效果相对二分,另一种思路主张以思想的客观效果来分析和评判该思想的属性。前者否认法家思想是一种"绝对君主专制理论",后者反是。法家思想研究,应发挥上述两种研究方法之长,克服教条化、模式化的弊端。

The impression of china is a despotic country and the conception of despotism, which are held by the west and Japan in modern times, affect deeply the researching of traditional thought of modern China academic circles. The multi-vocal characteristic of despotism results in difference on the correlated academic opinions. There are two researching patterns about the legalists’ thought in the 20th century. One holds that the motivation of the thinker should be separated from the effection of thought practicing. The other protests that one wants to judge the characteristic of a kind of thought, he must attach importance to the effection of thought practicing. The first opinion doesn’t hold the thought of legalists is a theory of absolute despotism. The second opinion stresses the thought of legalists is a theory of absolute despotism.