非洲新的政治挑战——再论非洲内生式民主体制

New political challenges in Africa:Revisiting endogenous democratic systems

本文研究了非洲的传统法律和治理体制之一——赫尔(Xeer)习惯法。赫尔习惯法是非洲之角的索马里伊萨(Somali-Issa)游牧民族在16世纪制定的社会政治契约。本文强调了该体制赖以建立的政治哲学基础,讨论了其应对当今非洲社会所面临的新的政治挑战的潜力。作者认为,对于非洲法律和政治的再认识,要置于对普遍性这一概念的全球性反思之中,而普遍性应该是不同文化之间就多元化观点和多种世界观的长期对话的共同成果。

This article studies one of the African traditional systems of law and governance,namely the 'Xeer Issa', socio-political contract elaborated in the 16 th century by the Somali-Issa pastoralists in the Horn of Africa.It highlights the political philosophy on which this system is built and discusses its potential to respond to the new political challenges faced today by African societies. The author argues that the rethinking of African laws and politics should be placed within the global reflection on the concept of universality, which should be the common fruit of a long standing intercultural dialogue encompassing the diversity of visions and plurality of worldviews.