中国传统社会民本观念走向官贵事实的历史反思

Historical Reflections on the Transition from the People-Oriented Concept to the Officials-First Reality in Chinese Traditional Society

中国传统社会的民本观念源自尧舜时代,到战国时期得到了理论上的系统表达和论证。在民本观念流行的同时,官贵观念也开始萌生,并自秦代始逐渐取代民本观念成为中国两千多年皇权专制主义时代实际流行的观念和社会生活的现实。官贵观念的产生虽然具有某种历史必然性,却存在着诸多弊端并导致了许多负面效应和不良社会影响。导致民本观念向官贵事实转变的根本原因是民本观念本身有问题:传统社会的以民为本是一种统治的手段而不是追求的目的,是在封建等级制下君主的以民为本,而不是人人平等意义上的以民为本;在任何制度下统治者都可能宣扬以民为本,但同时也可以在事实上以官为贵;它只是在道义上要求君主应当以人民为本,但缺乏法制保障。现代中国确立了人民主体地位,人民幸福是社会管理的最终目的,官本位问题的解决不仅需要从官贵观念转向现代以民为本观念、健全民主政治,还必须将权力置于法律规范之下。

The people-oriented concept in traditional Chinese society originated from the era of Yao and Shun,and was systematically expressed and theoretically demonstrated in the Warring States Period.However,the ideas of officials-first began to sprout along with the popularity of the people-oriented concept,and gradually replaced it since the Qin Dynasty to become the actual popular ideas and the reality of social life in more than two thousand years of imperial autocracy in China.Although the officials-first concept has represented historical progress and certain historical inevitability,many disadvantages have also existed and resulted in negative effects and unhealthy social influences.The fundamental reason for the transition from the people-oriented concept to the officials-first reality is that the ideas of people-oriented itself have some problems.In the traditional society,the people-oriented concept is just a means of rule rather than the goal of pursuit;it is the monarch’s people-oriented concept in the feudal hierarchy,not the people-oriented concept in the sense of equality of all people.Under any system,the ruler can claim to be people-oriented,but in reality he may put the officials first.The traditional practice only requires the monarch to observe the people-oriented ideas morally without legal protection.Modern China has realized the dominant position of the people whose happiness is the ultimate goal of social management.The solution to the problem of officials-oriented needs to not only change from the“officials-oriented”to modern“people-oriented”concept and improve democratic politics,but also put power under the law.