Republicanism: A theory about freedom and government

Author: (Australia) Peter Gay
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 and 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, while maintaining an appropriate tension between the two. Under this understanding, drawing on 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 moment the founders resolved to draft a constitution; however, whether the founders are "great men" or "the people," they must self-limit to avoid an excessive tendency toward determinism. In this regard, there is Machiavelli's teaching: "The whims of a monarch are madness, and the whims of the people are folly."