摘要
当13个殖民地脱离母国而独立之际,美国革命者就新国家的政体原则和政府形式进行了热烈的讨论。有人主张以英国政体为蓝本,有人倡导仿效古代雅典民主,还有人试图在某些殖民地政府模式的基础上略加改造。1778年马萨诸塞的《埃塞克斯决议》则提出了一个颇具想象力的新型共和政体方案。《决议》并非如以往史家所说的那样仅只为少数富人争取权势,而是主张本着社会契约、人民主权和自然权利的原则,建立一个开放而中立的国家,基于民众与精英的共治和平衡,以保障包括少数富人在内的全体居民的"安全和幸福"。《决议》关注的不是加强国家的能力,而是防范国家的利益偏向和权力集中,以维护被统治者的自由和安全。这种国家构建的主张,不仅与当时世界上绝大多数国家的状况迥然不同,而且也与当前政治学理论对国家的描述大有出入。它从一个侧面反映了美国革命在政治上的创造性和激进性。
At the moment when the 13 colonies were separating from the mother country,the American founders devoted themselves to exploring principles and forms of government for the new states. Some proposed to model after the British constitution,some insisted on drawing on ancient Athenian democracy,and some intended to re- modify the form of government in some colonies. Whereas Essex Result,appeared in Massachusetts in 1778,brings forward a somewhat different but imaginative plan of new republican form of government. It does not,as most historians argued,solely strive for power and prestige for the wealthy minority,but rather contend for building up an open and neutral state based on principles of social contract,popular sovereignty,and natural rights,in which the ordinary people and the elite have their respective share in governing;this state is believed to be most favorable to ＂the safety and happiness＂of all the inhabitants,including the wealthy minority. What is most contrasting is that Essex Result does not focus on strong competency of state,but rather being jealous of state＇ s preference of interests and its consolidation of power,in order to ensure liberty and safety for the governed. Such a plan of state building was not only sharply different from the status of most states in the world at that time,but also discrepant to theoretical descriptions of state in modern political science. However,it displays the political creativity and radicalism of the American Revolution.
出处
《史学集刊》
CSSCI
北大核心
2016年第3期54-80,共27页
Collected Papers of History Studies
基金
国家社会科学基金2012年度重点课题"美国早期政治文化的演变研究"(12ASS001)的阶段性成果
