论“民主扩展论”的二律背反

The Antinomy of the Rationales of the"Democratic Expansion" Corollary

“民主扩展论”是当前美国和西方的国际政治学理论界占有重要地位的学术理论之一。它虽然早在 2 0世纪 80年代初便已出现 ,但受到众多理论家的推崇和追随却是 90年代以后的事。近年来 ,伴随美国对其超级独霸地位的追逐 ,独家垄断对国际事务主宰权和以武力干涉别国国内事务的欲求几乎不可避免地成了它迫切而现实的需要。这种现实的需要促使美国国内的某些理论家去为这种欲求寻求理论上的“合理性”和“合法性”依据。“民主扩展论”在这种情形之下应运而生。它所宣扬的核心论点是 :“民主”和“自由”价值理念在世界范围的进一步扩展需要靠美国等少数掌握了民主“真理”的国家以武力干涉其他国家国内事务的方式才能实现。本文通过对民主和自由最本质的价值内涵和当今世界最根本的国际政治现实因素的深入分析和对比 ,揭示了这种理论所表现出来的理性价值的二律背反 :它虽然在理论上以扩展“民主”和“自由”价值观的必要性为“依据” ,但它在本质意义上却走到了与民主和自由价值理念相悖的价值立场上———即以民主和自由的理性价值来为强权政治和霸权主义的非理性诉求辩护。

Democratic expansion' corollary has been one of the most influential doctrines in the academic circles of international politics in the United States and some Western countriesAlthough it was put forward as early as in 1980's,it was not generally accepted and followed until 1990'sIn recent years,in pace with her effort to establish her global hegemony,the United States found herself being deeply enticed and lured on by the appetency for the exclusive powers to dominate the world affairs and intervene in the internal affairs of other countriesSuch pragmatic needs prompted some theoreticians to seek,theoretically,for the “rational' and“justifiable' grounds for the appetencyThe “democratic expansion' corollary thus emerged as the times requiredThe key argument it blazons forth is such a presumption:the further expansion of the “democratic' and “liberal' values in the sphere of the world requires the United States and her Western allies,the only nations that could grasp and uphold the truth,to intervene,by means of force,in the internal affairs of other nations This thesis,through a penetrative analysis of the intrinsical connotation of the values of democracy and liberty and through a thorough comparison of the realistic ingredients of the current international politics,reveals the antinomy of the rationales of the corollary:though its advocates assert that it is fully justified on the “grounds' for the necessity of expanding “democracy' and exporting “freedom',it has gone,in its substantial meaning,to the contrary standpoint-namely,it employs the rational values of democracy and liberty to defend the irrational desires for power politics and hegemonism