“民本”的“人民主权”实质及其正义原则——周公政治哲学的解读

The Essence of "the People as the Root" as "the Sovereignty of the People" and Its Principles of Justice——A Reading of the Duke Zhou's Philosophy of Polity

中国古代政治哲学的一个基本传统就是"民本"政治,而这一传统是由周公奠定其基础的。"民本"思想的实质是"人民主权",而不论是现代民权政治,还是中国历史上的王权政治和皇权政治,都不过是实现这种人民主权的不同方式而已。这种表现形式的变革,又无不基于中国政治哲学传统的正义原则:正当性与适宜性。因此,现代民主应仅仅被视为"民本"的一种特定表现形式。

The tradition of Chinese philosophy of polity is the politics of＂ （regarding） the People as the Root （ of a country） ＂, the foundation of which was laid by the Duke Zhou. The essence of the thoughts of ＂the People as the Root＂ is＂ the Sovereignty of the People＂ （ the sovereignty belongs to the people）. Either modern polity of civil power we are constituting or the polities of kingly power and imperial power in Chinese history are only some different forms of the same＂ the Sovereignty of the People＂. All the changes of the forms, without exception, were and will be on the basis of the principles of justice （ properness and fitness） in the tradition of Chinese philosophy of polity. For this reason, modem democracy should be merely regarded as one of the specific forms of＂the People as the Root＂.