论欧洲中世纪社会结构特征及其对西方政治文明走向的影响

On Social Structure of Medieval Europe and its Influence on Western Political Civilization

欧洲中世纪文明既承接了希腊罗马的古典文明传统,又开启了近代资本主义精神。它在消解古典文明使中世纪变得"黑暗"的同时,却又以潜伏着近代宪政民主、自由主义和个人主义的文明因子,把先贤创造的古典文明通过创造性转换传送到近代人手里,为作为近现代文明基础的宪政、自由、民主、法治、人权等观念的产生提供了思想土壤,从而孕育了现代西方的资本主义文明。

The civilization in the Middle Ages in Europe undertakes both the Greek and Roman classical culture tradition, and opens the spirit of modern capitalism. While it disintegrated classical civilization and made the middle ages stay in darkness, it transformed classical civilization created by ancient sages and brought them into modern people＇s hands. It provides fertile soil for the cultivation of such concepts as constitutional government, freedom, democracy, rule of law and human rights, which lay the foundation for modern civilization. Furthermore, it gives birth to the civilization of modern western capitalism.