自负帝国的危机:单边主义与霸权合法性的终结

The Crisis of a Conceited Empire:Unilateralism and the End of the Legitimacy of Hegemony

制度安排是美国成就霸权的基础 ,它只有通过在全球维度提供有效的国际公共产品和在国际社会中遵循民主才能实现霸权的合法性 ,而制度安排在单边主义之下不仅无法提供新的合法性依据 ,反而将加速霸权合法性的丧失。霸权合法性的消解又会反过来使美国的制度安排受到严峻挑战 :霸权滥用对它的腐蚀 ;挑战者、盟友和敌人的反抗 ;全球均势的形成。而美国制度安排的崩溃也就是其霸权 (或帝国 )终结的象征。不过本文的最终意图不在于揭示单边主义对霸权合法性的腐蚀作用 ,因为美国的领导人不会愚笨到一直采用单边主义 ,而在于揭示这样一种前景 :美国的霸权存在自身的悖论 ,它终将在历史的演进中寿终正寝。

Institutions and arrangements are the bases for the hegemony of the United States,upon which the legitimacy of hegemony can be found by providing efficient international public goods and fulfilling international democracy at the global level.But this legitimacy will disappear due to the unilateralist policies and actions of Washington's policy making circles.At that time,the institutions and arrangements provided by America will be challenged by the following variables:abuses by the superpower;threats from challengers,unions,and enemies;and the global balance of power.Consequently,the collapse of institutions and arrangements means the ultimate demise of this hegemony (or empire).Nevertheless,this text does not focus on the corrosive functions of unilateralism on the hegemonic perspective——America's hegemony will fade with the historical wind of the paradox of hegemony itself.