康德政治哲学中固有自由法权之含义和功能

Kant on the innate right to freedom

康德政治哲学中固有的自由法权的基本含义是每个人对于他人的任意之独立性。这种法权具有唯一性,但可分解为平等、自主、良心自由、言论自由等4个不同的环节。康德将私人法权和公共法权作为获得的法权,建立在固有的自由法权的基础上。无论固有的自由法权,还是获得的法权,均被康德归属于人的自然权利。与一般自由主义的观念相比,康德的法权理论提供了一种更有层次感的自由观。从其位置和功能上看,固有的自由法权处于道德主体与获得的法权之间,为人的各种权利提供了辩护,构成了道德与权利沟通之桥梁,在康德实践哲学中具有枢纽地位。固有的自由法权清晰地展现了权利的道德基础。康德法权理论的这种道德基础主义模式,在当前依然是可以得到辩护的。康德对固有的自由法权的阐释,表达了人的独立性的理念和一种基本的规范性要求,具有不容忽视的当代意义。

Kant defines the innate right to freedom as independence from being constrained by another’s choice(Willkür)and holds that this is the only innate right for men.According to Kant,this right involves four immanent elements,namely,innate equality,man’s quality of being his own master,freedom of conscience and freedom of speech.Furthermore,Kant argues that the innate freedom constitutes the basis for all acquired rights(private rights and public rights)and these rights should be identified as natural rights.Kant’s theory of rights,compared with the normal liberalist view,provides a more delicate apprehension of freedom.The innate right to freedom,as far as its position is concerned,originates from humanity as the moral agency and plays a role as the basis for acquired rights.As a bridge between morality and legality,it justifies all acquired rights and demonstrates the moral foundation of rights.This Kantian moral fundamentalism of right could be defended properly in the contemporary context.Kant’s view on the innate freedom,which constitutes a basic normative requirement,expresses not only the ideal of human independence,but also the priority of morality to political concerns.