现代性的自我确证: 黑格尔 “ 市民社会” 理论之奥义

Self-affirmation of Modernity the Profound Meaning of Hegel s Theory of Civil Society

摘要:

在 《法哲学原理》 中, 黑格尔提出了一个与国家相分离的 _“ 市民社会_” 概念, 这是一个伟大的概念创制, 在此基础上, 我们才能达到对现代性的自我确证: 现代性的进步性及其危机。 市民社会的出现是现代社会的一个典型标志, 它的两端即个人自我利益的特殊性和 _“ 需要-劳动_” 体系的普遍性互相交织, 首先体现为伦理的丧失, 但在其演化中又能回复伦理性。 理论教化和实践教化、 司法的普遍性公正、 同业公会作为有限的具体普遍性对贫困和贱民问题的纾解, 都在逐渐回复现代社会的伦理性。 只有从这个角度, 我们才能真正挖掘黑格尔市民社会理论的深奥意蕴。 黑格尔的市民社会理论既揭示了市民社会的历史进步意义, 把它描述为一个具有无穷可塑性又不断实现人们的现代自由的场所, 又直面现代性的内在弊端, 还指出只要生活于市民社会中, 其弊端和困境就会始终存在, 但是现代国家必须为消除弊端作出努力, 而不能放任和漠视。

Abstract:

Self-affirmation of modernity is one significant theme of Hegel_'s practical philosophy，but his elucidation on it doesn_'t become mature until he consummates the systematic theory of Civil Society in Philosophy of Right. Hegel focuses on the issue of modernity since his early academic activities，and he keeps exploring and improving on this issue in the context of _“the quarrel at the ancients and moderns_” . The concept of Civil Society which refers to a society comprised of bourgeois or people detached from state entering into markets provides an explicit theoretical field for elucidating the issue of modernity. Therefore this is a marvelous conceptual creation. It is in this theoretical field that essential features of modernity i. e.， its advancement and crisis can be truly analyzed. One typical sign of modern society is the emergence of civil society， the modernity of which is featured as follows： （1）Its two sides， i. e.， the particularity of pursuit of individual self-interests and the universality of _“ need-labor_” system， interweave with each other. The development of modernity is embodied in full development of both particularity and universality，the former of which，like abundance of material wealth，development of skills，establishment of rational principles，entrenchment of individual subjectivity，market economy and democratic politics，is the basis of flourishing and progressing of modern society. However， it causes troubles and crises simultaneously，like rampancy of instrumental rationality，inflation of individual subjectivity，alienation of labor, massive poverty，mechanization and superficialization of spirit. To develop universality fully will integrate and adjust outcomes of the development of individual particularity, and make the best of relieving troubles and crises of modernity. (2) In civil society, the particularity of individual pursuits of self-interests emancipates unprecedentedly, which, compared with ethical entities like family that are intimate and natural，and based on love, is first reflected in the loss of ethic and restores ethicality in its evolution nonetheless. Ethicality of modern society is restored gradually by theoretical education and practical education, universal justice of judiciary, and trade guild_'s relieving problems of poverty and rabble (trade guild acts as limited particular universality) . (3) The profound implication of Hegel?s theory of civil society can only be discovered through researches from the two perspectives mentioned above. The theory not only reveals significance of historical progress of civil society by describing it as an infinitely malleable place where people can realize their modern freedom, but also faces up to inner defects of modernity. Though the defects and predicaments always exist as long as civil society endures, modern countries should endeavor to extinguish the defects instead of ignoring them.