国学中的“民主”论及其现代观照

"Democracy" in Sinological Studies and Its Modern Enlightenment

中国古代"民主"的本义是"民之主"。它着眼于人民大众的劣根性,主张由英明的执政者代民作主,为君主专制的产生提供了依据,这是它最受诟病的地方;同时它要求充当"民主"的君主像"民之父母"一样"养民"、"教民",这却是与现代"民主"追求的人民权益存有交叉面的,是古代"民主"积极的一面,不可一概否定。现代"民主"源自西方,本义是"公民自主"。它肯定每一个公民的天赋自主权,这是其积极意义所在。不过"公民自主"往往以代议的方式实行,而代为反映民意的"间接民主"在实施环节会发生"议员变猪仔"的猫腻,所以对于现代西方式的"民主"也不可一味拔高。国内外历史上,曾发生过将"民主"的"民"从全体"公民"缩小到部分"人民",从而剥夺国家中另一部分非人民的公民的"民主"权利的沉痛教训。这是值得我们记取的。今天我们所要建设的"民主",应当是对全体公民而言的"公民自主"。

The essential meaning of China＇s ancient ＂democracy＂ is ＂master of the people＂. It employs the deep-rooted bad habits of the mass, suggests wise governors to make decisions for the people and provides a basis for autocratic monarchy. Besides of these heavily criticized features, it is positive in requesting the mon- arch as ＂master of the people＂ to ＂ nourish the people＂ and ＂ cultivate the people＂ like ＂ parents of the peo- ple＂. Such an idea is shared by modern ＂democracy＂ to protect people＇s rights and saves ancient ＂democracy＂ from being totally denied. Modern ＂democracy＂ derived from the west with the original meaning as ＂ civil autonomy＂ and is valuable in highlighting that every citizen is born with autonomy. But modern western ＂ democracy＂ should not be blindly admired, because ＂ civil autonomy＂ is always practiced in a representative way and, when implemented, such ＂representative democracy＂ on behalf of the public may cause ＂ bribery scan- dals＂ related to congressmen＇s benefit. In both domestic and foreign history were cases in which the concept of all ＂citizens＂ in ＂democracy＂ was narrowed down into that of some ＂people＂ , so that other citizens who were not part of the people were deprived of ＂ democratic＂ rights. We should learn from such painful lessons and bear in mind that the ＂democracy＂ we are building now should be ＂civil autonomy＂ for all ＂citizens＂.