血气的政治意义与柏拉图的政体论

Political Implications of Thymos and Plato's Thoughts on Polity

血气(thymos)是柏拉图思想中的一个重要概念。血气的精神含义在于人们希望其所坚持和捍卫的正义原则得到承认。一个国家的政体往往透过某种其所遵循的主导正义原则而展现出某种主导的血气类型。但是这种正义原则不可能与所有人所坚持的正义原则都一致,由此可能导致民众之间的血气之争。柏拉图笔下的苏格拉底提出了五种不同的政体,它们对于调和这样的血气之争分别具有不同的效果。他认为王制或贵族制是最好的政体。但是这两者并不能最好地调和血气之争。能最大限度地调和这种血气之争的应该是建基于苏格拉底所说的古代民主制之上的现代民主制。

Thymos （spiritedness） is a kernel concept in Plato＇s thoughts on polity. Thymos, at spiritual level, implies that each one desires recognition of his/her principles of justice. A state＇ polity tends to display its main kind of thymos by its compliance to a major principle of justice. But it is impossible that this major principle of justice is consistent with all principles of justice committed by its people. Thus the conflicts of thymos are likely to take place among its people. Socrates in Plato＇s dialogues proposed five polities, and they have different effects to reconcile the conflicts of thymos. Socrates thinks of kingship or aristocracy as the best one in his, but kingship or aristocracy cannot best reconcile the conflicts of thymos. The best polity to reconcile the conflicts should be modern democracy based on ancient democracy.