重新审视柏克的政治思想——构建大英帝国的内外秩序

Reassessing the Political Thought of Edmund Burke——To Construct the Orders of British Empire

柏克参与了英国政党精神的再造,并独具匠心地围绕英国宪法构建出了大英帝国的内外秩序。在他的政治观念中,秩序永远是第一位的,自由是有限度的。围绕这一思想,柏克构建了三种秩序。他把自然贵族构成的社会看作是自然社会演变的自然结果,这种社会秩序维系着人类的传统。他重塑了政党的组织原则,力主政党人士应超越个人利益和选区利益,为国家利益服务。他推进大英帝国秩序的构建,强调英国议会对殖民地的监管角色,通过维护一种普遍的正义原则夯实大英帝国统治的根基。某种意义上讲,柏克的政治思想实际上是一种自由秩序主义。

Burke rebuilds the soul of British political party,and ingenuously constructs the order of British Empire based on the British Constitution.As far as he concerns,order is always primary,while liberty is limited.He constructs three orders.Firstly,he thinks that social order should be guided by natural aristocracy.Secondly,he resets the principles of political party,and insists that the member of political party should struggle for national interests,rather than personal and regional ones.Thirdly,he emphasizes that the Parliament of Great Britain should superintend the colonies’legislatures,and guide them by the principle of general good,which will enhance the governance of British Empire.Burke emphasizes the three orders,and embellishes them with liberty.To some extent,the real political thought of Burke belongs to liberal-orderism.