因应国际社会——论近代中国天下思想的创造性转化

Responding to the International Society:Creative Transformation of the Tianxia Thought in Modern China

中华民族历来讲求“天下一家”,胸怀天下更是新时代中国必须坚持把握的世界观和方法论。近代中国融入国际社会的进程往往被视为由传统天下向现代世界转换的过程。然而,作为中国传统文化资源的天下思想始终在场。通过近代中国学人的创造性转化,天下思想不仅适应了现代国际社会的发展要求,而且彰显出中国对外关系理念中一以贯之的人类共同体理想与大国担当。作者运用近代中国思想史的资料与研究方法,分析了近代中国学人对天下思想进行创造性转化的路径、特点及其学理价值与现实意义:首先,近代中国学人在对中外历史与社会的比较研究中,通过阐释国际社会的历史演进逻辑,重构了“家—国—天下”的社会理论逻辑,实现了对天下思想的价值重估。其次,天下思想的内涵被近代中国学人创造性地转化为对公天下的责任观、和万邦的和平主义传统、定与通的心性政治以及对于“国际社会中人”的重视,从而为化解现代国际社会的危机、应对人类面临的共同挑战提供了中国智慧。最后,经过近代中国学人创造性转化的天下思想在近代中国参与国际组织与接受集体安全规范、联合弱小民族与建立国际统一战线以及推动国际文化交流与文明互鉴等外交实践中发挥了重要作用。在近代中国重新发现天下思想,对于深入挖掘天下思想的当代价值,利用中国传统文化资源创新国际关系理论,重新思考现代中国与国际社会的关系,具有重要的历史与理论启示。

China's integration into the intermational society is often seen as a process of transition from the traditional Tianxia to the modern world.In fact,the thought of Tianxia as a traditional cultural resource has still been present.After the creative transformation by modern Chinese scholars,Tianxia thought has not only adapted to the modern international society,but also demonstrated the consistent ideal of human community and China's responsibility for the world.This article uses the historical documents and methods from the history of modern Chinese thought to analyze how modern scholars developed the Tianxia thought,and its theoretical and practical significance.Firstly,in the comparative study of Chinese and Western history and society,modern scholars have re-evaluated the value of the Tianxia thought by interpreting the historical evolution logic of international society and reconstructing the social theoretical logic of home-country-world.Secondly,the Tianxia thought was creatively transformed into the responsibility for the common world,the Chinese pacifist tradition,the politics of mind and the interconnection of ideas,and the importance of people in the modern international society.Finally,the Tianxia thought has also played an important role in the diplomatic practice of modern China,such as participation in international organizations and collective security norms,establishing an international united front of weak countries,and promoting international cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.The rediscovery of the Tianxia thought in modern China and the in-depth exploration of the contemporary values behind it have important historical and theoretical implications for developing and innovating Chinese School of IR theory.