“市民社会”概念及其历史起源问题

Hegel’s Concept of “Civil Society ”and the Question of Its Historical Origin

本文旨在正本清源,澄清黑格尔"市民社会"概念的历史起源及其本来含义。全文分四部分。在指出自从马克思以来对这一概念偏离黑格尔本人的理解之后,第一部分考察了从亚里士多德到康德时期欧洲政治哲学传统中市民社会概念的基本含义,指出在这一传统下,市民社会与国家同义,此时国家未与社会发生分离,作为经济因素的家庭从属于国家或者市民社会。第二部分论述了黑格尔市民社会概念的历史起源,指出随着18世纪末对欧洲传统社会的突破与现代社会的形成,黑格尔与欧洲政治哲学传统决裂,提出新的市民社会概念。第三部分通过对黑格尔耶拿时期和晚期思想的考察,指出他只有在晚期(1820年前后)才真正达到对欧洲古今社会结构根本差异的理解,构造出与国家分离开来的市民社会概念,将其作为家庭与国家之间的差异领域,并对罗森茨威格有关黑格尔市民社会概念的流行解释提出了批判。第四部分对黑格尔市民社会(尤其是警察和同业公会)的含义进行了深入的分析和探讨。

This article aims to clarify the origin,and meaning,of Hegel’s concept of "civil society ". The article consists of four part. Part I interprets the basicmeaning of the concept "civil society "in the tradition of European political philosophy from Aristotle to Kant,and argues that in this tradition civil society is the same as state,and is not distinct from it. Meanwhile,the family,as the economic element,is subordinate to the preceding concept( s). Part Ⅱ discusses the historical origin of Hegel’s concept of "civil society",and points out that Hegel,with the breakthrough of European traditional society and the formation of modern society at the end of eighteenth century,breaks away from the tradition of European political philosophy to establish his concept of civil society. In Part Ⅲ,through the study of Hegel’s writings in Jena as well as during the period around 1820,the author points out that Hegel only achieved his understanding of the fundamental differences between ancient and modern European social structures,and formulated his own concept of civil society,which is distinct from the state,and forms the difference between the family and the state. The author also criticizes Rosenzweig’s interpretation of Hegel’s concept of civil society. Part IV is an in-depth study and interpretation of the meaning of Hegel’s civil society,in particular,the police and corporation.