论法治精神与法治思维

现代意义上的法治，是与民主政治具有内在联系的一种价值观，法治思维属于政治哲学范畴，它是以法治为基础的、治理国家、管理社会的一种高级思维方式。保障社会的公平正义，维护人的尊严、权利和自由，这是法治精神的实质；反对任何形式的特权，实现社会成员在法律面前的真正平等，这是社会主义法治精神的核心内容。作为人类政治文明的历史形态的人治和人治思维，曾经有过一定的历史价值，但是，它归根到底是一种官本位的思维方式，法治思维克服了人治思维的局限性，是对它的历史性超越。作为权力运行的基本形式，即政治思维，它的特点是以现实利益为导向，因此，具有思维方式的灵活性；而法治思维则更强调原则。所以，在现实的政治生活中，法治思维与政治思维的有机结合，会收到相辅相成、取长补短的效果。

On Legal Spirit and Legal Thinking

Legality, in its modern sense, is a view of value inherently related to democratic politics. Legal thinking, belonging to the field of political philosophy, is an advanced way of thinking which helps administrate a country and control its society on the base of law. The essence of legal spirit is to maintain social justice, human dignity, rights and freedom. It opposes privileges of any kinds and realizes real equality for all members of the society in law. This is the core of socialist legal spirit. The human rule and the ideology of human rule as the historical form of political civilization used to enjoy its historical value, but it was actually an official-rank-oriented way of thinking. Legal way of thinking overcomes the limitation of human ideology. It is a historical victory. Political thinking is a basic form of power operation, and its characteristics are benefit-oriented. The ways of political thinking enjoys great flexibility, while legal thinking puts more emphasis on the principle of regulation. In the reality of political life, an organic combination of the two will complement each other and benefit each other.