人民同意与人民主权--西方近代以来两种民主理论传统的区别、困境与误读

Consent of the People and Popular Sovereignty——The Differences,Dilemmas and Misreading of Two Kinds of Democratic Theoretical Traditions in Western Modern Times

西方近代以来有两种民主理论传统,一是民主主义传统,二是自由主义传统。前者的基本原则是人民主权原则,后者的基本原则是人民同意原则。学界对这两种原则存在诸多误解,如把人民主权理解为自由主义的民主原则,或者把人民主权原则与人民同意原则混淆在一起,或者把人民主权原则理解为西方政治的现实等。实际上,这两种原则存在明显的区别,前者体现的是统治的民主,即人民直接掌握立法权,后者体现的是被统治的民主,即最高权力掌握在代议机构手中。二者在实践中都存在诸多困境,其中人民主权的困境使其在西方政治中还无法成为现实,但其中的合理因素即公民对法律和公共政策制定的参与,仍可能具有克服自由主义民主弊端的潜力。当代兴起的协商民主理论在一定程度上继承了民主主义的民主传统。

There are two kinds of democratic theoretical traditions in western modern times:one is the tradition of democracy and the other is the tradition of liberalism.The basic principle of the former is the principle of popular sovereignty,the latter is the principle of people’s consent.There are many misunderstandings about these two principles,such as understanding the popular sovereignty as a liberal principle of democracy,or confusing the principle of popular sovereignty with the principle of people’s consent,or considering the principle of the popular sovereignty as the reality of Western politics.In fact,there are obvious differences between the two principles,the former reflects the governing democracy,that is,the people directly control the legislative power;the latter reflects the governed democracy,that is,the highest power in the hands of the agency.There are many dilemmas in practice,in which the plight of the popular sovereignty was not able to make it true in Western politics.However,the reasonable factors,namely,the participation of citizens in the formulation of law and public policy,may still have the potential to overcome the disadvantages of liberal democracy.The theory of deliberative democracy inherits at some degree the tradition of democracy.