孟德斯鸠的优良政体论——《论法的精神》第一编中的一对不为人知的政体

Montesquieu's Theory on Good Form of Government:A Pair of Unknown Forms of Government in the First Chapter of The Spirit of the Laws

长期以来,《论法的精神》第一编有关专制政体的论述被视为是孟德斯鸠对于东方社会的政治形式的客观描述,但很多研究者并未意识到,有关专制政体的讨论成为了孟德斯鸠建构新的政体论的出发点。实际上,有关专制政体的论述凸显了孟德斯鸠鲜明的价值立场。在孟德斯鸠的描述中,专制政体是一种内在不合法的政体,并且,在他有关专制政体的论述和霍布斯的自然状态的论述中存在着相似性。在《论法的精神》的第一编中,孟德斯鸠多次提及专制政体和宽和政体之间的对立,正是这一对立使我们注意到,宽和政体有可能是通往《论法的精神》第二编的线索。宽和政体中所传达的权力制约的观念,预示了第二编中三权分立的政体形式的出现。

For a long time, the argumentation on despotism in the first chapter of The Spirit of the Laws has been regarded as the objective description of the forms of government of oriental societies. However, many researchers have no awareness that the discussions of despotism constitute the staring point for Montesquieu to establish a new theory on forms of government. In reality, the argumentation on despotism highlights his distinct value standpoint that despotism is an inherently illegal form of government. In addition, this argu- mentation has similarities with Hobbes＇ argumentation on state of nature. In the first chapter of The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu mentions more than one time the opposition between despotisms and republics and monarchies, which reminds us that republics and monarchies are the clue to the second chapter of The Spirit of the Laws. The concept ＂restriction of power＂ in republics and monarchies is an indication to the separa- tion of three powers in the second chapter.