個人、國家與世界：論約翰彌爾的公眾參與理論

Abstract

本文從個人、國家和世界三個層面來重新建構約翰彌爾的公眾參與理論。其公眾參與理論包含了公民精神和公民參與這兩個部份。公民精神主要強調合作的精神，天才和菁英組成的知識階級公民必須和其他大眾階級的公民合作，才可以減少痛苦得到快樂，唯有合作才能讓每個人可以充分運用到自己的能力，享受到高級樂趣，得到個人的幸福，也讓社會獲得更多的效益。合作的精神必須透過實際的參與才可以學習，因此參與本身具有教育的功能。彌爾認為公民精神必須透過國家內部的地方和中央雙軌式的參與才可以培養，由知識階級擔任引導的角色，在參與過程中協助大眾階級的學習。這種方式擴展到世界上就是文明國家對野蠻國家的帝國主義干預。殖民地不適用於不干預原則，因為他們必須透過和統治者的合作，才能學習如何運用自己的能力來得到幸福。

This study tries to reconstruct John Stuart Mill’s theory of public participation from three perspectives: individual, national and international. This theory consists of an account of citizenship as well as an account of citizen participation. At the core of Mill’s idea of citizenship is cooperation between intelligent citizens, which include geniuses and elites, and the masses. By cooperation, people can make best use of their capacities, and attain their own higher pleasures and ultimately happiness. This citizen spirit can only be cultivated through political participation, and thus it has implications on education policy. The purpose of educating the masses is to help them develop and use their intellectual ability, and to do so intelligent citizens must assume the role of leading their fellow citizens with regard to political participation. And only from this perspective can we truly understand Mill’s theory of international intervention – or liberal imperialism, according to which civilized states are allowed to intervene the barbarian ones. Colonized population must cooperate with and learn from their rulers – that is to say, to conduct their own experiments in living under their colonizer’s tutelage.