生活政治化与政治生活化——以《礼记》为中心的考察

Life Politicized and Politics as Life: An Investigation Centered on the Book of Rites

在中国儒家传统中,政治理念不是抽象的观念,而是展现在具体而生动的日常生活之中。在《礼记》中,儒家理想政治秩序主要落实在日常生活规范之中,无论是庶民还是政治人物的日常生活规范,都全面体现了儒家的等级秩序与规范政治。这种"生活-政治"的政治哲学范式,反映了生活政治化与政治生活化的双重特质,其积极意义在于政权拥有者所主导的政治价值能够有效地体现在共同体成员的日常生活中,使得社会生活有序化、制度化、规范化;而其消极意义则在于制度和规范一旦成为僵化的教条,就会成为破坏社会活力、阻碍社会进步的因素,进而削弱生活的多样性、丰富性甚至自由度。

In the Confucian tradition, political ideals are not merely abstract concepts; rather, they are embodied in the concrete realities of daily life. In Book of Rites, the ideal Confucian political order is actual- ized in the norms of everyday life. The norms for both common people and officials give full expression to the Confucian hierarchies and political order. This ＂ life-politics＂ paradigm reflects the dual feature of Confucian political philosophy： life is politicized while at the same time politics is experienced as daily life. This paradigm has both positive and negative effects. Since the political ideals of the ruling class can be effectively embodied in the polity＇s daily life, it is easy to achieve order, institutionalization and standardization in the society. In doing so, however, rules and norms might also degenerate into rigid dogmas, which would inhibit social vitality and progress and reduce the diversity, richness, and even the freedom of life.