从“受命于天”到“人民至上”:新型现代国家建设中的道德权威转型

From“Mandate from Heaven”to“Renmin Supremacy”:The Transformation of Ethical Authority in the Construction of a New-Type Modern State

作为象征意义体系的核心要素,道德权威是建构集体认同的精神力量,也是推进集体行动并维护公共权力有效运作的正当性基础。古代中国以上天为最高道德权威,强调天子受命于天,并将天、君、民的关系纳入了道德的范畴,形成了以伦理道德为核心的文明秩序。近代以来,面对内外部力量的冲击,传统的文明秩序难以维系。中国共产党结合中国革命的实际建构了“人民”的概念,建立了人民至上的新型现代国家,塑造了以“人民”为至高道德权威的现代文明秩序,开启了中国式现代化的新征程。在对公共权力的塑造上,“人民”和“上天”所发挥的角色与功能具有显著的历史延续性。作为至高道德权威的“上天”和“人民”塑造了公共权力的认同基础,规定了公共权力的最终来源,强化了道德在公共权力运作中的重要性。但与服务于古代王朝国家的天人哲学不同,在以人民为至高道德权威的现代文明秩序中,“人民至上”的新型现代国家就表现为推进中国式现代化发展的现代国家,推进全过程人民民主的民主国家和推进中华民族伟大复兴的民族国家。

As the core element of the symbolic meaning system,ethical authority is the spiritual force that construct collective identity and provides the legitimacy foundation for the effective operation of public power.In ancient China,the highest ethical authority was attributed to the heaven,emphasizing that the emperor received his mandate from heaven.This framework incorporated the relationships among heaven,the ruler,and the people into the realm of ethics,forming a civilization order centered around ethical morality.In modern times,faced with internal and external pressures,the traditional civilization order became challenging to sustain.The Chinese Communist Party,in conjunction with the realities of the Chinese revolution,constructed the concept of“renmin”and established a new type of modern state that renmin supremacy.This shaped a modern civilization order with“renmin”as the highest ethical authority,marking the beginning of a new journey towards Chinese modernization.In shaping public authority,both“renmin”and“heaven”play significant roles with a notable historical continuity.“Heaven”and“renmin”as the highest ethical authorities,have laid the identical foundation for public authority,determining its ultimate source and reinforcing the importance of ethics in the operation of public power.However,unlike the confucian philosophy that served ancient dynastic states.In the modern Chinese civilization order with remin as the supreme moral authority,the new-type modern state with“remin supremacy”manifests itself as a modern state that promotes Chinese modernization development,a democratic country that promotes whole-process people's democracy,and a nation state that promotes the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.