近代中国立宪改革失败根源探析——基于中日近代宪法的比较

On Reasons of the Failure of Modern China's Constitution Reform——Based on the Comparison between China and Japan's Modern Constitutions

日本近代化的最大成功之处是宪政政体的确立,虽然是君主立宪制,天皇拥有至高无上的权威,但并无至高无上的权力,其权力受到宪政的约束,这不同于东方社会传统的一统天下的专制王权体制。这一不同,为日本在诸多方面推进近代化创造了条件,提供了机会。而中国清末的立宪改革尽管意义深远,但是具有保护性、有限性、防御性和贵族性。从中国清末制度变迁的进程来看,清政府政治转型的阻力,一是来自于既得利益者对变革的抗拒,二是由于清政府自身欠缺领导改革的能力。

The biggest success of Japanese modernization is the establishment of constitutional government,although it was constitutional monarchy. The Mikado is constrained by the constitutional government,who has supreme authority,but no supreme power. This condition makes Japan different from autocratic royalty in oriental society. This difference creats the opportunity for Japanese modernization in many aspects. On the contrary,Chinese modernization although has great significance,in late Qing dynasty,It has the characteristics of protectionism,limitation,defensiveness,and nobility. In the process of institutional change in late Qing dynasty,the resistance comes from those who benefit before the change and the lack of capacity for leading the change.