民主时代的新政治科学——托克维尔政治思想的制度路径考察

New Political Science of Democratic Age——The Institutional Approach of Tocqueville's Political Thought

贯穿托克维尔全部思想的中心论题是在不可逆转的民主时代如何保存和实现自由。托克维尔的民主是指身份平等所带来的政治制度、社会文化、法律、道德、民情等社会生活的一切方面的变化及状态,是一种新的不可避免的历史形态。新的政治科学就是在民主时代避免新型专制,保存和实现自由的科学。制度路径是托克维尔新政治科学的必然选择。以朗格多克省的成功为典型,托克维尔描绘了一幅民主时代共和主义的自由图景。

The central theme throughout all the Tocqueville＇s thought is how to save and obtain freedom in an irreversible democratic era. Tocqueville＇s Democracy refers to all aspects of the political institutions, social, cultural, legal, moral, social life of the people and the state of change brought about by the identity of equality; it is a new historical form, and inevitable. The new political science is the art to avoid new democratic despotism, to save and obtain freedom. Institutional approach is the inevitable choice in Tocqueville＇s new political science. The old Languedoc province was a typical successful example, where Tocqueville painted a picture of a liberal Republicanism in democratic era.