后形而上学视阈下的西方权利理论

Western Theories of Rights in a Post-Metaphysical Perspective

12世纪以来,从自然法(自然正当)到自然权利再到人权,权利概念经历了一个漫长而又复杂的演变历程。在后形而上学视阈下,带着亚里士多德面具的权利理论为我们提供了一个崭新的理论视野。首先,它巧妙地回避了麦金太尔的"本体论批判":人权概念的重要性不在于其奠基于何种本体论之上,而在于它是实现人类个体的繁荣的必要条件。其次,它在伦理学上兼具现代道德的命令式特征(必须拥有个体权利)和古典伦理学的吸引式特征(拥有个体权利是好的)。再次,目的论自由主义的理论前景昭示出对当代政治哲学与古典政治哲学进行完整叙事的可能性:以个体权利为核心的政治秩序不但没有颠覆或者削弱古典的自然正义(正当),反而是对后者的一个补充和拓展。

From the 12th century on,the concept of rights has witnessed a long and complex transformation from natural law (natural right) to natural rights and thence to human rights.In the post-metaphysical perspective,rights theory under its Aristotelian mask provides us with a new theoretical perspective.Firstly,it neatly sidesteps the 'ontological criticism' of Alasdair MacIntyre:the significance of human rights lies not in its ontological foundations,but in the fact that it is a necessary condition for the flourishing of the individual.Secondly,in terms of ethics,it combines the imperative features of modern morality (it is necessary to have individual rights) with the attractive features of classical ethics (it is good to have individual rights).Finally,the theoretical prospects of teleological liberalism point to the possibility of a complete narrative of contemporary and classical political philosophy:the political order centered on individual rights has not overthrown or undermined the classical natural right (justice),but has complemented and extended it.