论反思平衡方法规范效力的来源

On the Root of the Normative Validity of the Reflective Equilibrium Method

《正义论》的发表标志着规范伦理学和政治哲学的复兴。在该书中,罗尔斯克服了元伦理学对直觉的单纯依赖,运用反思平衡方法建构了两个正义原则。而要想理解反思平衡方法如何能够跨越事实与价值之间的鸿沟,就必须回到普遍被忽视的罗尔斯的早期作品中去寻找答案。反思平衡方法与自然科学的建模方法是高度同构的,契约论相当于自然科学研究中经常使用的理论模型,这种相似性才是反思平衡方法规范效力的来源。然而,由于伦理学与自然科学根本性质的不同,反思平衡方法能否真正超越直觉主义,两个正义原则是否具有普遍的规范效力,我们是有理由加以怀疑的。

The publication of A Theory of Justice signified the revival of normative ethics and political philosophy. In this book, Rawls overcame the intuitionalism of meta-ethics, and constructed two principles of justice by way of reflective equilibrium. In order to understand how this method can cross the chasm between fact and value, we must return to Rawls＇ early works, which were generally neglected. The method of reflective equilibrium is very similar to the modeling method in the study of natural science, and the contract theory is just equivalent to the theoretical model. This similarity is the root of the normative validity of the reflective equilibrium method. However, because of the difference between ethics and natural science, we have reasons to doubt whether the method of reflective equilibrium can really overcome intuitionalism and whether the two principles of justice have universal normative validity.