再思現代憲政主義之源起－在殖民地主義場境下的洛克自由憲政思想

現代憲政主義源於十六、七世紀歐洲，而洛克被認為是最具影響力的憲政思想家。至今大多數關於洛克政治思想的論述皆以英國本土為背景，忽略了英國在美國殖民地的場境對洛克思想的影響。洛克本人曾經多次出任殖民地的管理要職，從1668年到1671年，洛克被梳士百利伯爵委任為卡羅來納貴族領主的秘書長。在1673及1674年，他更出任貿易及殖民地總署的秘書長。在這些期間內，洛克負責貴族領主與其在北美殖民地官員的書信往來，他亦負責各種政策及法令的頒布，他更被認為是卡羅來納基本憲法的草擬者之一。及後，在結束流亡生活回國後，洛克於1696年至1700年間被邀請擔任貿易及殖民地國家委員會委員，主導維吉尼亞憲法改革。由於洛克對北美殖民地的長期關注及其實質的工作，他對殖民地的場境相當熟悉，特別是當時的印地安人與殖民者的關係。本文探討北美殖民地場境對洛克政治思想的影響以及洛克如何運用其憲政思想於殖民地場境。

關鍵字

洛克；政治發展；憲政主義；自由主義；殖民地主義

並列摘要

Modern constitutionalism originated from Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. John Locke is considered one of the most prominent constitutional thinkers. However, most commentaries on Locke focus on his doctrines with reference to the English domestic context rather than the colonial context. Locke was involved in colonial administration in several periods. From 1668 to 1671, the First Earl of Shaftesbury appointed Locke as the Secretary of the Lords Proprietors. During 1673 and 1674, Locke was appointed the Secretary of the Board of Trade and Plantation. Locke was responsible for managing the communications between the Lords Proprietors and the colonists. After the self-imposed exile, Locke was invited to be the Trade and Plantation Commissioner between 1696 and 1700. He was deeply concerned with social and political reform in Virginia. Owing to the direct engagement in the colonial administration, Locke was familiar to the actual colonial context especially the relation between the colonists and the Amerindians. This paper studies the relationship between Locke's political theory and the colonial context.