公共精神的形成、消解与复归——马克思对西方政治哲学的重塑

The Formation,Dissolution and Return of Public Spirit:Marx’s Remodeling of Western Political Philosophy

马克思政治哲学中的公共精神思想具有深厚的思想史渊源,古典政治哲学和古典自由主义是其两大理论传统。古典政治哲学塑造了个人对共同体直接认同的公共精神,其根本目的是维护城邦公共秩序和共同利益。古典自由主义对个人权利和私有财产的尊重和认可成为论证资本主义工商业的理论基础,由此却导致了生活世界统一性的丧失,具有伦理色彩的公共精神随之消退。借助古典政治哲学公共精神的思想资源,马克思发现个人与他人、个人与共同体分裂的时代问题,在自由人联合体这一新的社会平面上重新塑造公共精神。

The thinking about public spirit in Marx’s political philosophy has deep roots in intellectual history.Classical political philosophy and classical liberalism are two major theoretical traditions.The former has shaped the public spirit involved in direct identification of the individual with the community;its basic purpose is safeguarding the public order and common interests of the polity.The latter has made respect for and recognition of individual rights and private property into the theoretical basis of arguments for capitalist industry and commerce.However,all this led to the loss of the unity of the life-world,and has taken with it the ethical coloration of public spirit.Using the intellectual resources of classical political philosophy relating to public spirit,Marx discovered the question of his time—the split between the individual and others and between the individual and the community.He thus reshaped public spirit on the new social platform of the association of free men.