论现代政治语境中的“平民”

A Discussion of “Pingmin”(平民):The Ups and Downs of a Modern Political Idea

在对当代社会—政治思潮的汉语描述中,存在着将'民粹主义'和'平民主义'相混淆的现象。这多少忽视了现代中国思想史中'平民主义'的多样含义,并有把这类'平民主义'简单等同于民粹主义的危险。为了澄清这一点,就需要将'平民'观念分析为'术语''主义''价值'三个层次。在'术语'层次,与现代社会—政治运动所要发动和联合的人群相关,划定'平民'的标准游移于'公民'与'贫民'之间。这一含混性使得在现代术语成形的竞争中,'平民'的含义为'公民''人民'以及更为细致的阶级区分所分割。在'主义'层次,我们至少能辨识出传统主义的、民主主义的、社会主义的和无政府主义的四种'平民主义'。它们与民粹主义之间存在着或近或远的联系,但又都无法为民粹主义所完全覆盖。同时,通过对'平民教育'的简略分析,我们对主义话语争夺中的策略因素有一定的展示。在'价值'层次,'平民'是现代'平等'价值的一种表现形式,并尤其显示了'平等'价值在现代中国的激进化趋势,以及蕴含在现代平等诉求中的'怨恨'因素。而现代中国的思想家们,则不无乐观地赋予'平民'以向'平民化的自由人格'提升这一长远的启蒙任务。

In Chinese discussion of contemporary social-political trend of thoughts,there is a tendency to confuse '民粹主义'( populism) with '平民主义'( Pingminism). This confusion somewhat ignores the diverse meanings of '平民主义'in the history of modern Chinese thought,and falsely equates such 'Pingmin-ism'with populism. In order to clarify this issue,this paper uses the method of critical history of ideas to analyze the idea of 'Pingmin'( Ordinary People,平民) on three levels: terminology,'ism',and value. At the terminology level,the definition of'Pingmin'wavers between 'Citizen'and 'Pauper'according to the different target groups that different modern social-political movements attempt to mobilize. In the formation of modern Chinese sociological and political terminology,this ambiguity divides the meaning of 'Pingmin 'and replaces it with 'Citizen','People 'and more detailed class distinctions. At the'ism'level,a minimum of four types of'Pingmin-ism'can be identified: traditionalism,democracy,socialism,and anarchism. They have certain connection to populism,but they all cannot be completely covered by populism. Through a brief analysis of the'Mass Education'( 平民教育) discourse,this paper partially shows the strategic factors in the competition among 'isms'. At the value level,'Pingmin'is one manifestation of the modern value of 'equality',showing the radical tendency of the value of equality in modern China and the resentment factor contained in the pursuit of modern equality in particular. However,most modern Chinese thinkers are optimistic that 'Pingmin'can be promoted to'Free Personality as a Member of Ordinary People'( 平民化的自由人格),which is a long-term task of enlightenment.