先秦政治思想中的政治正当性问题刍议

政治正当性意指对政治秩序的道德评价,关系到政治统治的稳定性。古代中国的政治正当性有着与西方不同的特点:大体上,首先经过殷周之变,西周的政治正当性奠定在了天命论的基础上,统治者有德才能受命于天;其次经由春秋战国时代的历史剧变,儒家的心性论将政治正当性的基础进一步落实于个人内心的德性修养上,并以此与天内在相通。先秦时代的政治正当性大体奠定在天、君、民三者的相互关系上,对后世产生了深远的影响。

A Brief Study on the Political Legitimacy in the Political Thoughts of the Pre-Qin Period

Political legitimacy means moral evaluation of political order related to the stability of the political rule, Political legitimacy in ancient China has different characteristics from that of Western countries. Generally speaking, after the change from the Yin to the Shang Dynasty, political legitimacy in Western Zhou was based on the virtues from the Heaven. Secondly, after the change from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States period, Confucianism in pre-Qin days based political legitimacy on a personal inner moral cultivation. Political legitimacy in the pre-Qin era was based on the relationship between Heaven, kings and people, which had profound impacts on the Chinese history.