查尔斯·泰勒的民主文化多元性思想评析——基于社会想象维度的考察

On Charles Taylor's Thought on Plural Culture of Democracy——An Observation Based on Social Imaginaries

政治哲学家查尔斯.泰勒认为,民主文化以多元方式存在,民主文化的多元性现状可以基于社会想象研究而得以澄清。在泰勒看来,特定时空中的社会想象赋予特定实践以意义,民主理论必须渗入并改变特定时空的社会想象才能产生作用,民主的路径依赖性使得每个民主社会都形成了其独特的把自己理解为一个民主国家的方式以及符合这种理解的实践。每个民主国家的成员对其想象的共同体都具有强势的政治认同,而任何认同都是由他人的承认构成的,因而,各民主国家相互承认与尊重彼此的民主文化就成为必然要求。

Charles Taylor, a political philosopher, considered that the culture of democracy in existence is plural and the culture of democracy in different democratic states has different characteristics. The study on plural culture of democracy based on social imaginaries doesnt aim at looking after a single culture of democracy, but clarifying the particularity and difference among different cultures of democracy, and recognizing their legitimacy. In Taylor＇s view, it＇s the social imaginary in certain space time that gives sense to certain practices, and it is effective when the theory of democracy should infiltrate and change every social imaginary. The dependency on the path of democracy makes every democratic society think itself as a democratic state in its own perspective and do practice according to its own understanding. In the distinguishing social imaginary, every democratic state needs the strong political identity of its members. Because each identity consists of someone else ＇s recognition, this demands the recognition and respect among democratic states consequentially.