从黑格尔的一个误解看卢梭的“公意”

On Rousseau's “General Will”——From the Misinterpretation by Hegel

黑格尔批评卢梭用契约论来处理国家政治问题是把国家公权力错置于私人财产关系的基础上,以"众意"来充当"公意"或"普遍意志",认为这是导致法国大革命悲剧的理论上的原因。但黑格尔误解了卢梭的公意,卢梭的公意有其哲学基础,他对公意和众意做了区分,并清醒地认识到由公意所建立起来的完美的民主制只能是一个理想的乌托邦,只是用来促使现实国家政治生活在众意的行使中日益趋向接近的标准,但这一点并没有被法国革命的理论家和黑格尔所理解,卢梭并不能为法国革命的失败承担责任。卢梭的公意除了有理性的根源外,还有公民宗教及其所形成的社会风尚和习惯的根源,在现实生活中公意只有凭借理性和信仰的双管齐下才能对公民社会的建立和运行产生有效的影响。厘清卢梭的这一套以公意为核心的社会契约论,对于我们今天建设法治社会的理论建构具有重要的参考价值。

Hegel criticizes that Rousseau mistakenly bases public（national）power on the relation to private property when he uses social contract theory to deal with the issue of the justification of government and replaces ＂general will＂or ＂universal will＂with＂will of all＂.Hegel maintains that this is the very theoretical cause which leads to the tragedy of the French Revolution.Unfortunately,Hegel misunderstands Rousseau＇s concept of＂general will＂.The general will in Rousseau＇s thought has its solid philosophical foundation.Rousseau makes a clear distinction between the general will and the will of all and fully realizes that the perfect democratic institution founded by the general will is an ideal utopia which should be used only as a standard to guide the real political life driven by the will of all.Unfortunately,it is misunderstood by the French revolutionaries and Hegel as well.Rousseau is not the person who should be responsible for the failure of the French Revolution.Besides its root in reason,Rousseau＇s＂general will＂also has its origin in civil religion and the ethos and customs along with it.In the real political life,it is by the co-effect of reason and belief that the general will could contribute validly to the establishment and function of the civil society.To clarify Rousseau＇s social contract theory with the general will as its core idea is significant to the theoretical development in the process of building up a society ruled by law today.