社会契约论与民主政治

Social Contract Theory and Democracy

社会契约论是西方近代著名的政治哲学理论,它阐明了国家或政府公权力的来源,说明了主权在民的思想(卢梭)。因此,它是现代民主政治的理论基础之一,也成为现代民选政治实践的范本。而中国政治哲学中虽有"君轻民贵"思想,但未能形成西方的权利转让学说,由于缺乏社会契约论的认同和对公权力来源的追问,因而导致官僚政治的产生。

Social contract theory is a famous theory of political philosophy in the modem West which expounds the origin of power of the state or government and illustrates the idea of popular sovereignty （Rousseau）. Therefore, it becomes one of the theoretical bases of the modem democracy, as well as a model for the practice of modem democratic election. Although Chinese political philosophy maintains that ＂the monarchy is superior to common people＂, the theory of power transfer in the West is not formed here and therefore, bureaucracy comes into being due to the lack of the recognition of social contract theory and inquiry of the origin of public power.