严复与近代中国自由主义思想范式的确立

Yan Fu and the Establishing of Thought Paradigm of Modern Chinese Liberalism

严复是近代中国第一个系统阐发自由主义的启蒙思想家,他建构了一个囊括政治、经济、伦理和思想言论自由等诸多内容在内的自由主义理论系统。严复在肯定个体自由的终极价值的同时,主张群体自由与个体自由的平衡与协调,认为群体自由与个体自由在不同历史时期和社会发展阶段,二者应有所侧重或有先后之分。出于救亡图存的现实考虑,严复主张国群自由优先于个体自由。严复对国群自由与小己自由两种价值的关怀与思考,表征着近代中国自由主义独特的问题意识,即珍视个人自由与追求国家富强的内在困境。严复自由主义思想的系统性和个性特色为近代中国自由主义规定了大致走向,基本确立了近代中国自由主义的思想范式。

Yan Fu is the first modern C hinese liberal enlightenment thinker who constructed a liberal theory system, including the political, economic, ethical and ideological freedom. Though Yan Fu confirmed the ultimate value of individual freedom, he still advocated the balance and coordination between the indi-vidual and collective freedom under the condition of national salvation. Yan Fu’s thinking of the nation lib-erty and individual freedom characterized the unique problem consciousness of the modern Chinese liberal-ism, which had the inherent difficulty between cherishing individual freedom and seeking national prosperity. Systematicness and personality are two characteristics of Yan Fu’s liberal thought, which provided a general direction and basically established the thought paradigm of modern Chinese liberalism.