章太炎的法家观及其政治思想的法家因素

Zhang Taiyan’s Legalism View and the Legalism Factors of His Political Thought

章太炎的法家观呈现出显著的现代性特质。他认为,法家虽然严酷,但临事有效,能够利民。章氏赞赏法家的“法治”精神、公正价值、崇实品格;但批判法家的国家主义倾向。章氏一方面为法家正名,另一方面又对其进行理论改造,为法家学说再生于现代社会提供了一个独特的理论面向。他将庄子的个体自由以及儒家的伦理修养注入法家的“法治”观念,使法治与个体权利相得益彰。章氏政治思想复杂多元,蕴涵法家因素,但并非“新法家”。他反对西式代议制,强调中国历史与现实的特殊性,但接受分权思想与民权观念。政治崇实、通史致用、法治精神、抑制豪强、痛恨贪腐、关切善政,构成了章氏政治思想与法家观念之间的内在联系。法家的理论困境,一定程度上也构成了章氏的理论困境,依靠强人政治来解决现实问题并实现法治理想成为一种必然宿命。

Zhang Taiyan’s legalism view manifests remarkable modernity.He believes that although the legalism is harsh to some degree,they are effective in solving practical problems,which could benefit the people.Zhang appreciated the legalism spirit of“rule of law”,the value of justice and the character of respecting reality;meanwhile he also criticized the nationalism tendency of legalism.Zhang,on the one hand,advocated the legitimacy of legalism;on the other hand,he carried out the theoretical transformation to provide a unique orientation for the legalism theory to regenerate in modern society.He amalgamated Zhuangzi’s individual freedom and Confucian ethics into the legalist concept of“rule of law”,which made the rule of law and individual rights become complementary to each other.Zhang’s political thought is complex and diverse,which contains legalism factors,but he is not a“new legalist”.He opposed the western representative system,emphasized the particularity of Chinese history and reality,but also accepted the idea of decentralization and civil rights.The internal relationship between Zhang’s political thought and legalism idea is composed of political belief of reality,practical use of learning history,rule of law spirit,suppression of local powers,hatred for corruption and concern about good governance,etc.The theoretical dilemma of legalism,to some extent,constitutes the theoretical dilemma of Zhang,too.As a consequence,it is a certain destiny to rely on the strong-leader politics to solve the practical problems and realize the ideal of the rule of law.