美国建国初期对古典民主与共和传统的辩论及利用

Debates and Uses of Graeco-Roman Democracies and Republics in Early America

建国初期的美国,因其社会和文化中浓厚的古典氛围,充分利用了古典世界的民主与共和政治遗产。在制定宪法过程中,代表们就有关中央政府权威、参众两院的设置、行政首脑的单人负责制以及常备军的创设进行辩论时,都从正面或者反面参照了古代的先例。在批准宪法过程中,联邦党人和反联邦党人围绕着近代国家中共和政体是否可行、议员与选民的关系、选民的权利和政府的权力、常备军在近代国家的角色等,都借用古典传统做了深入讨论。反联邦派的理想,在许多方面复活了古典共和与民主传统。可以说,古典传统在构建近代美国的基本政体过程中,确实发挥了相当重要的作用。但不管是联邦党人还是反联邦党人,都对古代做了创造性的解读,给古代历史添加了不少近代的内容,也忽略了古代政治中很多非常关键的因素。他们是在近代国家的框架和制度中来利用和改造古代传统,代表制、总统制、独立的司法系统和常备军的创设,典型地反映了近代国家的要求而非古代的传统。当美国政体初步稳定下来并表现出活力时,古典传统就逐渐退居幕后,不复成为美国政治中的根本因素。潘恩和杰斐逊对古代传统的拒绝,代表了当时美国相当一批政治精英的心态。

Based on the classical context, the early Americans made fully use of the leagacies of GraecoRoman democracies and republics. During the debates in the framing of the American constitution, the representatives quoted many precedents of the GraecoRoman world when they were discussing about the central government, bicameral congress, the executive authority and responsibilities of the government. The antifederalists＇ ideal revived the classical republics to some extent, in particular. Therefore, the classical tradition played crucial roles in the formation of early America. However, both federalists and antifederalists creatively represented the clas sical precedents, adding much modernity to ancient world on the one hand and neglecting many other essentials on the other hand. They used and recreated classical tradition in the modern world. The representative congress, presidency, independent judicial system and the establish ment of the standing army were apparently the requirements of the modern state, not the ancient. The classical tradition gradually withdrew to the background as the new United States demonstrated its vitality. Paine and Jefferson＇s rejection of ancient precedents was an important signal of the early Americans.