反思西方化语境下现代化与民主关系的悖论

Rethinking the Paradox of the Relationship between Modernization and Democracy in the Context of Westernization

现代化与民主的悖论问题,是西方式现代化一个无法回避的矛盾。它不仅表现在现代化成果分配不平等对民主根基的侵蚀,更表现在西方模式全球化的进程中给广大后发国家带来了困扰与危机。对此,西方主流学界的回应并未触及这一矛盾的根源,即资本主义与西方中心主义对现代化的总体限定。而中国式现代化则以对现代化与民主重新赋义为支点,重塑了二者间逻辑自洽的关系。通过系统总结中国式现代化回应相关问题的经验,尤其是析出其中具有普遍性的规律,不仅有助于进一步解放中国之制中蕴含的现代化潜力,而且也为后发国家超越西方化的限定性,更加自信、成熟、科学地探索多元的现代化发展道路提供启发与借鉴,使中国与世界共同迈向一个不只属于西方的现代化新时代。

The paradox between modernization and democracy is an unavoidable contradiction in Western modernization.It is not only manifested in the general erosion of the foundation of democracy by the unequal distribution of the fruits of modernization,but also brought troubles and crises to the vast number of developing countries in the process of the globalization of the Western model.The response of Western mainstream academic circles has not touched the root of this contradiction,namely,the overall limitation of modernization by capitalism and Western⁃centrism.Chinese path to modernization,on the other hand,redefined modernization and democracy as the fulcrum,and rebuilt the logic self⁃consistency between modernization and democracy.By systematically summarizing the experience of Chinese path to modernization in response to relevant issues,especially the universal laws,it will not only help to further liberate the modernization potential contained in Chinese system,but also provide inspiration and reference for developing countries to transcend the limitations of Westernization and explore diversified modernization development paths more confidently,maturely and scientifically.Then bring China and the world together into a new era of modernization that does not belong to the West alone.