国家利益的界定与外交政策理论的建构

The Definition of National Interest and the Construction of Foreign Policy Theory

本文考察了如何从国家利益的概念出发,建构外交政策理论的问题。本文认为,国家利益是客观存在的,因此没有必要在概念之中加入其他的干扰因素;存在具体的国家利益,也存在整体国家利益,但整体国家利益的视角更加准确,也适宜于建构外交政策理论;若用国家利益来解释外交政策,必须转化为利益关系的逻辑。本文认为,整体性的国家利益概念应基于国家在国际体系的结构层面和制度层面的位置,大国所追求的是全球层面和地区层面的某种合理的实力和制度地位,而其他大国与这一整体国家利益之间是否存在冲突决定着国家之间的战略利益关系。实力关系和制度关系构成了连接整体国家利益与外交政策之间的因果逻辑。同时,整体国家利益决定着具体国家利益的重要性和紧迫性,而对具体国家利益的处理也在战略利益关系不明确时可以发挥一定的作用。

The article examines how a theory of foreign policy can be constructed on the concept of national interest. It argues that national interest is objective, and thus other interference factors should not be added into the concept. There exist specific national interests, and also overall national interest. The concept of overall national interest is more accurate and appropriate to construct a theory of foreign policy. The article also points out that the concept of national interest must be transformed into interest relationship to interpret foreign policy. Overall national interest is defined in terms of the position of state on the structural and institutional level of the international system. Great powers pursue their reasonable power and institutional position on the global and regional level, and whether other states have conflictive relationship with this overall national interest will shape their strategic interest relationship. Power relationship and institutional relationship constitute the causal logic between overall national interest and foreign policy. Meanwhile, overall national interest can decide the importance and urgency of specific national interests, but the dealing with specific national interests can also play a certain role when the strategic interest relationship is still indeterminate.