公众舆论、市民社会与法治

Public Opinion, Civic Society and Legal System

公众舆论是市民社会的重要结构性要素。它作为市民社会民主权利表达的最基本方式,发挥公共领域的合法性功能,为政治的合法性提供基础。它还是权力制约机制的核心,通过舆论监督实现对公权力的制约,从而促进民主与法治的实现。然而它在垄断资本主义阶段却产生了异化,丧失了对公权力的制约功能。因此,我国在建构市民社会的过程中,在保证公众舆论发挥应有作用的同时,也要避免这种异化现象。

Public opinion is a key factor of structure in civic society. As the most fundamental method to express democratic rights in civic society, it functions as legal means in public fields, providing a basis for the legality of politics. And also, it remains the core for restricting power, promoting democracy and legal system via the supervision of public opinion toward public power,However, it comes to alienation in the phrase of monopoly capitalism, and gradually loses its restrictive function. Therefore, in the process of establishing civic society, we should ensure that public opinion is brought into full play, while avoiding this alienation.