论辛亥革命前十年中国国民的宪政意识

辛亥革命前十年,知识界、思想界的先进分子对宪政表现出很大认同,认为宪政代替专制、人治是二十世纪时代发展潮流,也是中国走向富强的必由之路,必须尽快制定宪法,设立国会,建立分权制衡的国家权力体制,努力培养国民的权利意识,从而实现由君主专制政体向民主立宪政体制的根本转变;但一般民众当时尚不知宪政为何物,权利意识淡薄,只知有王法,不知有宪法,几乎处于无权利状态。因此,对辛亥革命前十年中国国民的宪政意识不能估价过高。国民宪政意识的薄弱,是清末直至近现代中国宪政屡次受挫的一个不容忽视的重要原因。

Chinese People's Awareness of Constitutionalism in the Decade before 1911 Revolution

In the decade before 1911 Revolution, pioneers in both intellectual and ideological circles believed that replacing autocracy with constitutionalism is the historical development tendency in the 20th century as well as the only road to prosperity and power for China. A state power system including constitution, national congress and distribution of powers has to be established so as to develop people's awareness of rights, thus once and for all changing China from monarchy to the constitutional government. There have been failures in building the constitutionalism in China from the late Qing Dynasty up to now because of Chinese people's weak awareness of constitutionalism.