從反普遍主義到反自由民主？幾點商榷與反思

本文藉助當代反普遍主義邏輯之基本精神，分析、質疑時下以反西化之名反自由民主的中國國族主義言說。後者把自由民主相對化、本質化為根深蒂固的西方產物，彷彿自由民主與中國性不能兩立；至於主張中國走自由民主道路的中國人，則儼然成了受到西方污染、中國性不足的次中國人。本文把此類言說界定為一種政治化的族群／文化本質主義，並對其（內在）普適性宣稱、真理宣稱進行商榷。本文分析指出：其關於西方與中國的本質性、同質性、（內在）普適性宣稱，如「自由民主是根深蒂固的西方產物」、「自由民主與中國性不能兩立」、「威權主義體現中國文化」等，實難以成立。而建立於此的國族浪漫主義、歷史主義言說，及其「存在即合理」、「當下即我們」、「當下即公意」等維護、鞏固現存黨國體制的真理宣稱，自然也稱不上真理。當其把現代威權主義看作「中體」屹立不搖的明證，並把中國體內的自由民主元素打成西方污染時，其（內在）普適性宣稱實已不攻自破，而其排他性、獨斷性、宰制性則昭然若揭。

關鍵字

普遍主義；自由民主；西方；中國；本質主義；國族主義

並列摘要

This paper critically examines the thesis that liberal democracy is essentially Western and utterly incompatible with Chineseness. In recent years there has emerged in China a popular nationalist discourse which rejects liberal democracy as Western and therefore alien to Chineseness. Correspondingly, Chineseness has come to be defined as essentially anti-liberal-democratic. This also involves the suggestion that the presently existing authoritarian ”Chinese model” or ”Chinese road” be intrinsic to Chinese culture. Liberal democracy as a political choice is, thus, being excluded a priori in the name of anti-Westernization and anti-universalism. This paper argues that at the heart of this particular anti-liberal-democratic discourse is a species of what might be called ”politicized ethnic/cultural essentialism.” The trouble with it, however, is that its claims to (internal) universality could hardly be sustained. Drawing on the spirit of the poststructuralist logic of anti-universalism, the paper aims to deconstruct this ethnic/cultural essentialism and its truth claims about China and the West. As a form of power/knowledge, this overtly politicized ethnic/cultural essentialism is revealed to be exclusive, dogmatic, and repressive.