“同意”与“公意”之辨——论实现人民主权的两种原则的区别、困境及融贯

Analysis of “Consent” and “General will”

同意原则和公意原则是实现人民主权的两种不同原则。以同意原则为前提的人民主权是把人民作为国家权力的终极来源,肯定了“权力”为人民所有和所赋。把符合公意作为实现人民主权的理想诉求,强调政治权力为公器,政治权力的使用要为民所用、为民所谋,要以实现人民的根本利益和福祉为根本目的。同意原则与公意原则的矛盾体现为权力的来源归属与权力行使的实践效果之间的矛盾。虽然两者之间存在着矛盾,但是并不意味着两者之间是完全对立的。只有把同意原则和公意原则有机地结合起来,才能最终协调每个人的自由发展与所有人的共同利益,基本善与共同善,个体善与公共善的和谐统一。

People's consent and general will are two different principles to realize people's sovereignty.The consent of the people's sovereignty is to regard the people as the ultimate source of state power,affirming that“power”is owned and endowed by the people.Taking the general will as the ideal appeal for realizing the people's sovereignty,the emphasis of political power as a public device,the political power used by the people and for the people must be fundamentally purposed to aim at the ultimateinterestandwell beingof the people.The fact that the principles of consent and generalwillarecontradicted is initially the expressionoftheconflictbetween the attribution of power and the actual exercise of power.That is to say,although the power belongs to the people,the exercise of power may not accord with the will of the people.Inspite of this contradiction between them,it does not mean that they are completely opposite.It is necessary to guarantee the realization of the sovereignty of the people by application of two principles.If we can conbinethis two principles we will coordinate the free development of individuals with the common interests of the people,the basic good with common good,and individual good with public good.