顾炎武政治思想的近代意蕴

On the Modern Implication of Gu Yanwu’s Political Thoughts

相对于中国传统君主专制制度的政治理念而言,顾炎武的政治思想已经开始显现出了近代色彩。这种独特的理论品格,在于顾炎武解构了儒家和法家政治哲学的等级基础,在重构自然本体论和自然人性论的基础之上,对公私关系、国家观念、君臣民关系、权力运行机制作出了新的阐释或安排。尽管顾炎武政治思想的近代转向带有一些限制,但仍然不失为对传统民本政治思想的一种突破。

Gu Yanwu’s political thoughts,distinguished from traditional Chinese political ideology,which was the underpinning of absolute monarchy,began to approach the spirit of modern thinking.This new theoretical orientation consisted in that Gu deconstructed the political hierarchies advocated by the Confucianism and the Legalism.And on the basis of reconstructing the doctrines of Natural Ontology and Natural Humanity,Gu expounded in a new perspective on the public-private relationship,concept of state,trilateral relationship among the emperor,the officials and the people,and the mechanism for the exercise of power.Despite the limitations in his turning to modern thinking,Gu’s political thoughts may still be considered a breakthrough as compared to the traditional people-oviented political thought.