Republicanism - A Theory of Freedom and Government (The Third Series of Modern Political Translations)

Author: Philip Pettit (Australia)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The views of republicanism on the creation of political order and the construction of political institutions undoubtedly have a certain exemplary and reference role for the political transformation of contemporary China. As a "follower of free states," China's political institutional reform must be carried out in a sound, orderly, and effective manner, taking into account both the aspects of democratic republicanism and constitutional republicanism, and maintaining an appropriate tension between the two. Under this understanding, citing Akerman's distinction between constitutional politics and routine politics at the strategic level to examine the institutional reform of contemporary China is somewhat enlightening. The discourse of republicanism on the creation of political order reveals to us that the self-legislation of a democratic and rule-of-law state can be traced back to the founders' determination to draft a constitution; however, whether the founders are "great men" or "the people," they must self-limit to avoid an overly strong determinist tendency. In this regard, there is Machiavelli's teaching: "The whims of a monarch are madness, and the whims of the people are folly."