中江兆民的政治思想

Abstract

中江兆民在日本近代的民主化運動中，無論在思想上或實踐上都是非常活躍的人物。兆民曾於1872年至1874年間留學法國，在法國，兆民邂逅了以盧梭思想為中心的法國共和派思想，回國後，他重拾儒家經典，同時深入鑽研西方民主思想。和同時代的啟蒙思想家相比，兆民思想的最大特點在於他不否認舊有的儒家思想，而是重視儒家思想的價值，並以舊有思想作為根基發展獨特的民主思想。因此兆民的民主思想特別重視民眾的道德，期待人們以與生俱來的道德心約束自己的行為，尊重他人的自由與利益。這也是為何現在還需要研究兆民的原因，希望能透過本論文，探討民主社會中人民需要具有的素養與能力，使民眾了解自身的權利與義務，並主體地去推動社會、政治改革，使目前的民主政治更加理想化。 本論文分為三章探討兆民的政治思想與人類觀。第一章首先概觀兆民的政治思想，可以發現兆民在政治中強調「義」與道德，他駁斥當時流行的功利主義，認為任何利益都必須以「義」為目的。兆民的自由觀源自於盧梭，並受到法國共和派思想的影響，強調道德的自由觀。但比較兆民和盧梭的自由觀後會發現，兩人對於人類本質的看法大相逕庭，兆民受到儒家思想的影響，認為人類天生具有社會性，而這生來的社會性便是人類道德的基礎，因此可以說兆民的自由觀是奠基於儒家的人類觀而發展的。第二章透過分析兆民的『國會論』，可具體看出兆民所強調的道德是如何實踐於政治之中。兆民提倡的「有限委任」制度強調了人民的主體性，而此主體性正是源自人類發現自身的道德能力後的產物。既然在兆民的政治思想中，人類的道德性扮演了不可或缺的角色，因此如何去培養道德便是非常重要的課題，這正是第三章的主題。 本論文發現兆民之所以重視人類道德，是因為人類唯有發現自身具有的道德性，才能作為一個「近代人」成為政治中的主體，而非只是被政府管理的客體。這正是研究兆民思想的價值所在。

Nakae Chomin played a very significant role in the democratization movement in Meiji period of Japan. Chomin has been to France, and in France, he learned about the democratic thoughts, especially French Republicanism, which is deeply influenced by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. After returning to Japan, Chomin restudied Confucianism and the Western democratic thoughts. Compared to the other contemporary enlightenment thinkers in Japan, one of the best part of Chomin’s thoughts is that he didn’t deny the old fashion Confucianism, but valued it, and used the Confucianism to develop his own unique democratic thoughts. He paid attention to people’s morality, and wished people would respect others and their rights as same as their own. And this is exactly the reason why studying Chomin’s thoughts. The purpose of this thesis is to explore what ability that people living in democratic society should have, and to make people realize their rights and obligation, so that people will try their best to make the society a better society. This thesis has three chapters. In the first chapter, we see the basic thoughts of Chomin. We can find out how he emphasized the “righteousness” and morality in politics. He refutes the utilitarianism and thinks that any interest must be aimed at 'righteousness'. Chomin's view about liberty originated in Rousseau and was influenced by the French Republicanism, emphasizing the “moral liberty”. But comparing Chomin’s views about people and Rousseau’s, we can find out they had a very different point of views about people. Chomin was influenced by Confucianism, he thought that people are born with sociality, and it is exactly the social nature that makes people moral. So we can say that Chomin’s view about liberty is in fact based on the Confucian view of people. In the second chapter, by analyzing Chomin’s article about congress, it shows the morality is practiced in politics. We can see people’s subjectivity in the “limited representative democracy” that Chomin advocated. Only when people notice their ability of morality inside, they gain the subjectivity. And since people’s morality plays an important role in Chomin’s political thoughts, how to develop the morality is a very important problem to be solved. And this is the subject of the third chapter. Why Chomin emphasized on people’s morality is because only people notice their own ability of morality, they can discuss politics and participate in politics on their initiative, not just being ruled by the government. And that’s why today we still need to study Chomin’s thoughts.