中西古代政府制度的思维路径比较

制度的功能是规范人与人的关系,中西方人对人与人关系规则和制度的认识和设计存在着思维上的明显差别。在中国古代,制度的设计总是把个体置于依附关系的网络中,并相信通过教育和引导,每个人都会在这个依附关系的网络中找到自己恰当的位置,并遵守网络中的规则,因为这种规则的核心是家庭关系规则的放大,一切冲突都可以在人伦"情理"中得到妥善的解决。而在西方古代,制度的设计把个体看成是独立的个体,个体在制度和规则中的地位是由个体的能力和财产决定的,个体与个体之间的关系必须通过契约及法的形式来处理和约束,人间不存在总是善良的"天使",哪怕是政府及其官员本身,所以,任何人都必须接受法律的约束。

A Comparison of the Thinking Path of Archaic Governmental Institution between China and Occident

As for the thinking of the institutional design and setting, in archaic China, individual is regarded as one leech on to a meshwork that there is an order of hierarchy. All of rulers, reformers, and the designers of institution believe that everyone can find his/her status and follow the order in the meshwork by moralizing. In the meshwork, the key regulation comes from the family order that the son must submit to the father, so almost all conflicts can be resolved in the meshwork that is imbued with the family feelings and family relationship, because the state is the enlarger family and family is the reduction of the state. Contrast to China, occidental take the individual as a self-help man who has independent personality under any institution, his/her status rely on his/her living ability and riches. The relationships between individual and individual must be kept in the contract and the law; only the law can avoid the unfair feelings. There is no "angel" in the world, therefore, anyone, even the ruler and governor of the government must be limited and constrained by law.