人民主权理论的思想史叙事

The Evolution of the People’s Sovereignty Theory

主权是指一国之内不受限制的最高权力。人民主权意味着主权归人民所有,人民之外的君主、议会、元首、政府、上帝、神等等皆不得行使主权。历史上,对人民主权理论持异议的大有人在。除格劳秀斯和主权神权学派外,其他的异议者反对人民主权的立足点都是人权,即担忧主权即便掌握在人民手中,它同样会对个体的人权构成威胁。在人民主权思想史上,替其辩护的亦为数不少,卢梭和哈贝马斯是其中的典型代表,前者提出了著名的主权公意论,后者对人民主权进行了程序化诠释。人民主权辩护者均认为人民之所以要掌握主权,为的就是保障他们自己的人权。其实,人民主权和人权为一体两面,人民主权是面子,人权是里子。我国有着人民主权的制宪传统,宪法素来认可人民主权这块面子,当下最重要的是从立法、执法和司法上保障人权这个里子。

Sovereignty is unlimited supreme power within a country. The people’s sovereignty means that sovereignty belongs to the people, Monarchy, Parliament, Heads of government, Government, God and Deity and so on may not exercise the power of sovereignty. Historically, there are a lot of scholars struggle against the people’s sovereignty theory. Except Grotius and sovereign theocratic school, other dissidents against the people’s sovereignty are just for human rights, which concerns the sovereignty even in people’s hands will also pose a threat to individual human rights. In history, some thinkers defends people’s sovereignty consciously, Rousseau and Habermas are the typical representative of them, the former put forward the famous theory of the sovereignty of the general will, the latter viewed the people’s sovereignty through the programmed interpretation. The people’s sovereignty defenders argue that people should be entitled to the sovereignty, to safeguard their own rights. In fact, people’s sovereignty and human rights are two sides of the same subject, people’s sovereignty is face(Mianzi), human rights is lining(Lizi).Our state has the constitutional tradition of the people’s sovereignty in our country, the constitution had recognized the people’s sovereignty(Mianzi), the most important is to safeguard human rights(Lizi)by legislation, administrative law enforcement and judicial adjudication.