Thomas Hobbes(1588-1679)put forward"state of nature",a term of political theory which had completely changed the Western political philosophy. Deeply influenced by this concept, Daniel Defoe(1660-1731) showe...Thomas Hobbes(1588-1679)put forward"state of nature",a term of political theory which had completely changed the Western political philosophy. Deeply influenced by this concept, Daniel Defoe(1660-1731) showed us an island of the state of nature in his Robinson Crusoe. A print of man's foot on the sand, which evoked Robinson's fear, had become a symbol of the state of nature for Robinson's life on the island, and finally brought him a"state of war".展开更多
Focusing on Locke’s Two Treatises of Government,this paper argues that in Locke’s state of nature,his idea about human reason and humanity can be reconstructed as a concept:limited reason.This concept,which can help...Focusing on Locke’s Two Treatises of Government,this paper argues that in Locke’s state of nature,his idea about human reason and humanity can be reconstructed as a concept:limited reason.This concept,which can help us to understand and interpret Locke’s ambiguous words regarding the peace and war in his state of nature,needs to be understood and interpreted in Locke’s specific historical theological context.In this regard,limited reason is a cultural concept.展开更多
The law ＂Trial and Error Ordinance＂ enacted in 2006 and spreading throughout China especially since 2016 is the best starting point for China＇s democratization, because Chinese government officials cannot be confro...The law ＂Trial and Error Ordinance＂ enacted in 2006 and spreading throughout China especially since 2016 is the best starting point for China＇s democratization, because Chinese government officials cannot be confronted with their new challenges directly without the right to trial and error. This study has tried to build a new democratic theory, mistake-tolerant democracy based on the right to trial and error with Chinese characteristics and Western value to guide Chinese democratized way. The right theory of mistake-tolerant democracy is the new right paradigm, ＂the right to trial and error as an original right and mutual empowerment theory＂ proposed by the combination of the state of nature and the scientific method of trial and error rather than natural right theory and social contract theory. Mistake-tolerant democracy emphasizes that the people have the equal right to trial and error as an original right, and the officials＇ right to trial and error are granted ＂from the people and should empower the corresponding rights to them, which is the meaning of mutual empowerment theory.展开更多
The political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes is one of the cornerstones of modern liberalism. Resting on controversial doctrines of freedom, perception, human nature, and history, the foundations of Hobbesianism presuppo...The political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes is one of the cornerstones of modern liberalism. Resting on controversial doctrines of freedom, perception, human nature, and history, the foundations of Hobbesianism presuppose an emergence of reason from matter-in-motion that Hobbes never adequately explains. In this paper I explore the motivations and consequences of his neglect of fundamental philosophical problems through a series of ambiguous uses of key terms manifested his work： nature, necessity, and God in metaphysics and theology; freedom in politics; intelligible unity in epistemology; and imagination in ethics. These show up, respectively, in his doctrines of naturalism, political science, phenomenalism, and the state of nature. While it may be that Hobbes＇s metaphysical ideas are finally incoherent, this only raises a further question： Might Hobbes have recognized that the goal of a liberal state-a common human war against death-can only be grounded on sketchy and inadequate metaphysics, to be suppressed and avoided so far as possible？ Primarily through a reading of the Leviathan, I explore this question and tentatively propose that an affirmative answer is warranted.展开更多
文摘Thomas Hobbes(1588-1679)put forward"state of nature",a term of political theory which had completely changed the Western political philosophy. Deeply influenced by this concept, Daniel Defoe(1660-1731) showed us an island of the state of nature in his Robinson Crusoe. A print of man's foot on the sand, which evoked Robinson's fear, had become a symbol of the state of nature for Robinson's life on the island, and finally brought him a"state of war".
文摘Focusing on Locke’s Two Treatises of Government,this paper argues that in Locke’s state of nature,his idea about human reason and humanity can be reconstructed as a concept:limited reason.This concept,which can help us to understand and interpret Locke’s ambiguous words regarding the peace and war in his state of nature,needs to be understood and interpreted in Locke’s specific historical theological context.In this regard,limited reason is a cultural concept.
文摘The law ＂Trial and Error Ordinance＂ enacted in 2006 and spreading throughout China especially since 2016 is the best starting point for China＇s democratization, because Chinese government officials cannot be confronted with their new challenges directly without the right to trial and error. This study has tried to build a new democratic theory, mistake-tolerant democracy based on the right to trial and error with Chinese characteristics and Western value to guide Chinese democratized way. The right theory of mistake-tolerant democracy is the new right paradigm, ＂the right to trial and error as an original right and mutual empowerment theory＂ proposed by the combination of the state of nature and the scientific method of trial and error rather than natural right theory and social contract theory. Mistake-tolerant democracy emphasizes that the people have the equal right to trial and error as an original right, and the officials＇ right to trial and error are granted ＂from the people and should empower the corresponding rights to them, which is the meaning of mutual empowerment theory.
文摘The political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes is one of the cornerstones of modern liberalism. Resting on controversial doctrines of freedom, perception, human nature, and history, the foundations of Hobbesianism presuppose an emergence of reason from matter-in-motion that Hobbes never adequately explains. In this paper I explore the motivations and consequences of his neglect of fundamental philosophical problems through a series of ambiguous uses of key terms manifested his work： nature, necessity, and God in metaphysics and theology; freedom in politics; intelligible unity in epistemology; and imagination in ethics. These show up, respectively, in his doctrines of naturalism, political science, phenomenalism, and the state of nature. While it may be that Hobbes＇s metaphysical ideas are finally incoherent, this only raises a further question： Might Hobbes have recognized that the goal of a liberal state-a common human war against death-can only be grounded on sketchy and inadequate metaphysics, to be suppressed and avoided so far as possible？ Primarily through a reading of the Leviathan, I explore this question and tentatively propose that an affirmative answer is warranted.
