民主社會裡的個人與他者

近代民主社會的誕生，代表了以血緣來決定及固著人們之社會身份的時代的結束。自此之後，個人獲得了解放，但也被迫進入一個龐大的交換系絡中，他的獨立性受到結構因素的極大的限制，因此，「流動的不確定性」可謂是民主社會裡的無可迴避的人類情境。就其建構的本意來說，民主社會係期盼成為一種「在內部緊張中尋求和平的社會」。這意味著民主社會承認了內在分歧和矛盾的必然性，並試圖以非暴力的手段來進行調解，俾守住和平的整體格局。而民主社會裡的個人與他者的相互對待之道，係是影響此一期盼的關鍵因素。本文從托克維爾的經典論述出發，進而以「可販售性」和「面對束縛的二元性」分析當代民主社會裡的個人之一般處境，並從「做為同胞的他者」和「做為政治選擇之對手的他者」之間的動態的身份移動，探討多數專制的相關問題。

關鍵字

個人；他者；多數專制；民主社會

並列摘要

The birth of modern democratic society denotes the end of the dominance of blood linkage that feudalism closely fastens itself. Thereafter, the individual emerges onto the stage of history and acquires a newly found independence denied before. Yet, in the new era, he is forced to enter into a colossal network of exchange in which his independence is immensely limited and conditioned. In its original intention of construction, democratic society is supposed to be a society in search of peace within inner tensions. This indicates that inner cleavages are by all means parts of it and also that resolving and containing cleavages in a peaceful way is what a democratic society truly pursuits. Focusing on ＂salability＂ and ＂duality in relation to bondages＂, this essay aims to explore the nature of modern democratic society and the general conditions of individuals living in it, and, on this basis, to enquire further into the relations between the individual and others on which the longing for peace depends.