反思平衡:罗尔斯政治哲学的方法问题

Reflective Equilibrium:A Study on John Rawls' Method of Political Philosophy

美国政治哲学家约翰·罗尔斯首创"反思平衡"一词,并把这一方法提高到哲学论证的核心地位,他的全部理论都是这一方法的深度例示。反思平衡分为狭义反思平衡和广义反思平衡,前者仅指在一套信念系统内部达到一致,广义反思平衡则要在多套信念系统之间达到一致。罗尔斯从《正义论》到《政治自由主义》的思想演进例示了广义反思平衡是由一系列的反思过程组成,每一个新的思考点的引入都可能打破前一段的平衡关系,成为新一轮反思平衡的撬动点,并带动着反思过程往更广阔的背景理论里延伸,然后在更深或更抽象的层面又获致一个全新的平衡点,这个平衡点再一次等待着被新的反思点打破。每一段反思过程的平衡点都可能是一个建构性的成果,其标志性特征就是被抽象或提炼出来的新概念。

American political philosopher John Rawls was the first to put forward the term of reflective equilibrium and made it an influential method of philosophical argument.All of his theories are the best representations of reflective equilibrium.There are two types of reflective equilibriumnarrow equilibrium and wide equilibrium.Narrow equilibrium aims to produce coherence within a set of belief system while wide reflective equilibrium seeks to achieve mutual supports among several sets of belief systems.Wide reflective equilibrium involves a series of reflection processes,as represented by Rawls＇ theory development fromA Theory of Justice to Political Liberalism.Every new point,when introduced,would break the till-now balances of thoughts and motivate the start of another reflection within wider and deeper background theories till it achieves a new balance in a more abstract level,which was always ready for another break by new points introduced.Every point of balance within the reflection processes would be a constructive result highly represented by new concepts that are refined and abstracted.