修昔底德对“雅典论题”的认识

Thucydides’ Understanding of “the Athenian Thesis”

“雅典论题”是贯穿修昔底德《伯罗奔尼撒战争史》全书的一个重要主题。该论题宣称,个人和国家(群体的人)都在人性必然性的驱使之下追求统治权力和自身利益而无视正义。修昔底德在著作中从整体上揭示了“雅典论题”的真实性,但他在叙事及对事件动因分析的过程中也对“雅典论题”进行了反思和批判。修昔底德发现“雅典论题”具有根本缺陷,并包含了否定其自身的矛盾,雅典西西里远征的失败和帝国的衰落与此密切相关。

“The Athenian Thesis”runs throughout The Peloponnesian War.The thesis claims that individuals and cities(groups of citizens)are driven by human nature to chase their self-interest and dominant power without regard for justice.Its reliability is clarified in Thucydides'works.However,Thucydides kept on rethinking and criticizing“the Athenian Thesis”.He realized that“the Athenian Thesis”was fundamentally flawed and contained a self-negating contradiction.The Athenian expedition to Sicily and the decline of empire are related to the contradiction.