从“畏死的恐惧”看西方民主的前提错误--兼论民主能力及勇气

On the Premise Error of Western Democracy from the Fear of Death--With Discussion on Democratic Ability and Courage

政治共同体的一体两面的不可分割的公共性与复数性必然要求公民具有公共能力、通达能力和独立能力,即民主能力。超越"畏死的恐惧"的勇气这一公民的"首要政治德性"是民主能力的基础。公民的民主能力和勇气是任何民主理论和模式得以实践的根本前提。资本主义以"畏死的恐惧"为中介所形塑的原子式个体并不具有民主能力——尽管他们拥有并可能行使参与民主的权利。由此,西方民主出现了前提错误,即以丧失民主能力的原子式个体充任民主主体,由此便只能得到"麋集式集体的共同意志"或众意,无法得到公意。这使得西方民主在实践中偏离自由与平等,成为一条通往资本奴役之路,这是资本主义固有的先天缺陷,与采用哪种民主模式并不相关。在帮助人们获得超越"畏死的恐惧"的勇气从而具有民主能力方面,中国具有鲜明的文化和制度优势。

In recent years,western democracy has been questioned.We find that the public and plural nature of the political community requires citizens to have public ability,accessibility and independence,conforming to democratic ability."Courage to transcend the fear of death"as the primary political virtue of citizens is the foundation of democratic ability.The democratic ability and courage of citizens is the fundamental prerequisite for the practice of any democratic theory and democratic model.The atomistic individuals shaped by capitalism with the fear of death as a medium does not have democratic ability,even though they enjoy and could exercise their democratic rights of participation.As a result,the premise of Western democracy is wrong,that is,to take the atomistic individuals having lost their democratic ability as the democratic subject.Therefore,we can only acquire"the common will of a densified group"or the sum of individual wills,but not the public will.In practice,western democracy deviates from freedom and equality and becomes a road to capital enslavement.This is the inherent defect of capitalism,which is not directly related to the type of democratic model adopted.China has distinct cultural and institutional advantages in helping people gain"courage to transcend the fear of death",thus advancing their significant democratic capabilities.