“中国例外论”刍议

On Chinese Exceptionalism

中国国际关系的话语体系中有一例外论的存在,不过迄今尚未有专著论述。作者尝试对中国例外论在不同历史时期的内涵与缘起做了粗浅论述,并通过将中国例外论与美国例外论的对比来解释其政策意义。中国例外论在不同的历史时期有不同的表现。中华帝国具有一种以华夏中心论、仁厚和平论及等级包容论为特征的对外关系普世论。毛泽东时期的中国具有以革命中心论、大国使命论及中国道德论为特征的国际关系例外论,而改革开放以来的中国则具有以新型大国论、仁厚和平论及和谐包容论为特征的新的国际关系例外论。与美国例外论相比,中国例外论的明显特色是对干涉主义的拒绝,对仁厚包容的中和主义的追求。同时,作者尝试勾勒出当代中国外交的思想光谱,并将中国例外论置于其中考察其意义。这一思想光谱主要由旧现实主义、冲击型民族主义、新现实主义、传统主义、例外论及制度主义六大思潮构成。中国例外论可被视为关于中国外交的一种规范性理论,一种需要与当代中国外交其他五大思潮相竞争的理论与政策思想。

Chinese exceptionalism has long existed in China’s international relations discourse,but has not been treated as a serious subject of research.This article attempts to describe and explain the features and sources of Chinese exceptionalism during China’s different historical periods and draw out its policy implications by comparing it with American exceptionalism.Compared with American exceptionalism,the distinguishing feature of contemporary Chinese exceptionalism is its rejection of militaristic interventionism and promotion of pacifism and inclusionism.At the same time,the article seeks to describe the intellectual spectrum of China’s foreign policy today and evaluate Chinese exceptionalism within this intellectual landscape.This intellectual spectrum is mainly constituted by six major currents:old realism,assertive nationalism,new realism,traditionalism,exceptionalism,and liberalism.Chinese exceptionalism can be seen as a normative theory for China’s foreign policy,one that needs to compete with the other five major intellectual schools in China’s foreign policy.