论现代嬗变中的“平等”观念——以19、20世纪之交的中国思想界为中心的考察

19世纪中叶以后,中国思想界的“平等”观念,逐渐从古代儒释道的“圣凡平等”、“佛法平等”和农民“均贫富”的原始平等欲求,转变为现代社会的基本规范和伦理原则,从中可以分梳出“齐其不齐”和“不齐而齐”两种理路,演化出不同的社会理想和制度设计,具有强烈的实践性品格。“平等”虽然在形式上已经成为现代价值,但平等如何可能依然是个问题。平等观念的现代嬗变并未终结。

On the Concept of "Equality" in Its Modern Changes: An Examination with Chinese Ideas as the Center at the Turn of 19th and 20th Centuries

Ever since the mid-19th century, the concept of "equality" in Chinese ideas has gradually changed. It has changed from an ancient claim by Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in "e quality between the sacred and the common", "equality in Buddha's teachings", and the peasants' primal desire for equality in "sharing wealth equally", into the basic conventions and ethical principles in modern society. In this process, two ways of thinking can be distinguished, i. e. , "making the unequal equal" and "the unequal is equal", and become different social ideas and institutional designs with a strong character of praxis. Although "equality" has become in its form a modern value, it is still a problem as how it can be. The modern changes of the idea of equality have not been ended.