序 言
顾 肃
自二战结束以来，政治哲学几乎一直成为当今世界学术思想界的一个宠儿，一门显学。此事决非偶然。因为两次世界大战给人类的教训极其深刻。本来人们以为，随着工业化和科学技术的发展，人类在处理国与国、人与人关系上当会更加明智、理性、仁慈，但大战的结果却是以更先进的武器进行更大规模的搏斗、杀戮，甚至像德国纳粹那样公然进行种族灭绝，屠杀了六百万无辜的犹太人。于是，当大战的硝烟还未散去，志士仁人们就已经在审判战犯的德国纽伦堡法庭上开始思考人类的根本道义准则，包括最普遍的自然法的律令。而罗尔斯划时代的巨著《正义论》于1971年出版，则代表了战后人们反省正义原则问题的最重要哲学成果。从此，理论家们在政治哲学的论坛上风云际会，探讨交流，当然也不乏不同流派的激烈辩论，构成了当代政治哲学百家争鸣、相得益彰的生动画面。
冷战后的政治哲学则又有了新的进展，在自由民主大前提下的政治多样化发展同样引人注目。可以说，面对一个全球化多元发展的新时代，任何有知识和理智判断力的公民都需要有基本的政治头脑，了解国内外大势，把握住时代的脉搏，看对方向、走对路，做有道德、正义感和政治方向感的人。这就需要对于政治哲学有所了解，因为政治哲学主要探讨基本政治概念、原则的规范意义和道义基础，对于政治的基本是非有清醒的把握。当然，要掌握当代政治哲学的基本观点、原则、立场和流派，并非易事。如今专门著作浩如烟海，令初涉者望而生畏。
正因如此，我的同行相识、牛津大学著名教授戴维·米勒所写的这本简短导论，成了一本难得的政治哲学入门书。这是作者为牛津大学出版社推出的通识教材系列丛书所撰写的一本图文并茂的入门指导书，目的是向世界范围内的读者介绍政治哲学的基本概念、原理、观点、思想和方法，以使之对当代政治哲学有个初步的了解和把握。米勒教授是当代政治哲学界的知名学者，在该领域有独到的重要研究成果，《社会正义原则》即是为回应罗尔斯的《正义论》而写的一本名著。但是，正如本书前言中作者所言，他想通过这本书，“让政治哲学对以前从未接触过它的人变得有吸引力而且易于读懂，所以努力在不牺牲准确性的前提下，尽可能写得简单。”解释某些非常抽象的概念而不致陷入专门的圈内语言，这的确是一项挑战，但作者确实做到了。他用如此通俗生动的语言、深入浅出的论述写出这样一本介绍政治哲学的读物，实属难能可贵。
本书首先从意大利中世纪的一幅名为《好政府和坏政府的寓言》的油画开始，生动地阐述了为什么我们需要政治哲学。其实这就是对于包括好政府和坏政府的区别、权力、权威、正义、公正、平等、民主、自由等基本概念和原则的是非问答。政治哲学提供了支持自由民主、捍卫人权，要求统治的合法性建立在被统治者同意基础之上等等基本原理的正当理由，以及与此相反的各种观点之不能成立的道理。本书即围绕这些基本问题进行对主要概念的学理分析，介绍相互联系的、甚至还有对立的主要观点，并且由此展开深入浅出的论述和讨论。当然，作者不只是简单地论述是非，而且对各个问题的复杂性进行了实事求是的阐述。比如民主，作者指出，以民主的方式构建政治权威的做法渐成趋势，它依赖的是两个基本假设：第一，无人天生比他人优越，因而需要证明两者间的任何权威关系；第二，保护人民利益的最好办法就是使之成为政治权威的终极来源。尽管民主具有这样的道义基础，但在实践中仍然存在许多问题需要解决，这包括公民们对于政治过程和知识的了解有限，因而作出的决定也许并不都合理，故公民们也乐于选择一支领导者队伍来代表自己。结果就出现了作为代表的政府与其委托人之间的互动问题，以及当政府代表多数人的意志进行决策时，如何对待持反对意见的少数人的问题。现实中，一些民主体制下的公民经常对政治问题和政治知识表现出惊人的冷淡和无知，这就说明决不应该忽视民主在实践中遇到的各种困难。而宪政体制即是为了保护每个人包括少数派的权利而设计和运作的，它是民主的多数人决定原则的必要补充。但是，宪政民主体系还不止如此，它还必须保证多数人在作出最后决定之前充分考虑少数人所关注的问题，即便这并不涉及基本权利问题。这就需要民主制度本身拥有充分的协商和沟通机制，以及就公共议题进行公开的讨论和辩论。因此，尽管民主与专制相比是一个更合理和优越的制度，但也决不应该无视其本身存在的困难和问题，只有全面了解了民主的这些方面以后，无论是理论家和政治家对于民主体制本身的运作才会有清醒的认识，避免极端的情况发生。
作为著名的研究学者，本书作者本人显然对基本政治哲学问题持有自己的基本倾向和立场，包括在不少方面不同意罗尔斯的观点。但是，作者却没有以介绍自己的观点为主，而是讲透基本问题，并且简要地联系从古代希腊至今的相关经典论述，相当客观全面地介绍了当代政治哲学的代表性观点和论据，总结了相关的争论，提纲挈领，概括准确，给读者以鲜明的总体把握。好比你进入一个陌生的城市，如果某人只是提供给你某个街道的细节，细致到连商号及其经理的名字都有，但却没有给你提供一幅脉络清晰、方位明确、标明主要街道和代表性建筑的全景图，那你在该城行走时仍然会迷失方向，不知置身何处。本书就是提供了一幅当代政治哲学方位明确、概念清晰、原理表述准确、代表性论点介绍精辟的全景图。
本书以政治哲学的几个基本概念和问题来安排论述，但在此过程中，也穿插了对不同流派观点的介绍和评论。总的来说，当代西方政治哲学的主流是以罗尔斯为代表的自由主义者，与此进行相当一段时期论争的社群主义是一个带有集体和社群倾向的流派，但并未完全脱离自由主义的基本论述。马克思主义则是长期以来与自由主义论战的另外一个激进的政治哲学思潮，此外，近年还有女性主义，以及世界主义和全球正义论者，这些流派之间互有争论。本书不可能一一细述各个流派，但在讨论各个基本问题时对相关流派的代表性观点均有所总结。读者可以在基本了解和掌握的基础上再阅读一些专门著作，以便对相关的流派和代表人物的思想有更深入和全面的把握。
生动形象是本书的一大特色。大量的插图和形象描述，加上对寓言画的仔细分析，大大增加了本书的可读性。比如，除了上面提到的开头的油画以外，作者在讨论正义问题时也仔细分析了另外一幅有关公正的寓言画。所作的解析生动精辟，让人对于政治哲学有了身临其境的亲近感，而不是枯燥无味的说教和晦涩难懂的概念名词轰炸。英国哲学的传统是经验主义，从基本经验事实中总结出相应的概念和原则，加上概念分析的逻辑工具，把深奥的哲学概念和理论与经验世界密切结合，而不是只满足于发明新名词新概念，用自我臆想的庞大的形而上学理论体系掩盖思维严重脱离实际的致命伤，以致许多理论对于现实的社会和政治改革毫无贡献(当然，这里并无全盘否认形而上学的意思，关键是看研究者本人的根本态度是以实践为依归，还是逃避现实、躲在象牙之塔里孤芳自赏甚至自欺欺人)。本书论述中处处体现出的鲜明的实践针对性和指导性，同样值得称道。
本书中译本文句通顺，表达准确，加上有英文对照，对于广大读者包括高校师生准确地了解和把握政治哲学基本问题大有裨益。因此，我愿在此大力推荐这本难得的政治哲学入门书。
2007年10月
写于南京秦淮河畔曲水文华苑

我們應該如何共同生活於社會之中？我們究竟為何需要政府？社會正義意味着什麼？至善的現實政治真的只能是海市蜃樓嗎？政治哲學的關注重心隨着社會和政府的變化而變化，政治哲學給予我們的，究竟在多大程度上是一種普遍真理。這些問題中最基本的是關於政治和政治權威的問題。我們為什麼非得要有政治？無論是誰，有權強迫另一個人去做違背其意願的事嗎？當法律不符合我們的要求時，為什麼還要服從它？這些問題離我們並不遙遠，它和我們的人生息息相關。在本書中，作者還努力使政治哲學與那些新近才被提上議事日程的問題(例如女性主義)之間保持一種平衡。

Nationalism is a dominating force in contemporary politics, but political philosophers have been markedly reluctant to discuss, let alone endorse, nationalist ideas. David Miller here defends the principle of nationality. He argues that national identities are valid sources of personal identity; that we are justified in recognizing special obligations to our co-nationals; that nations have good grounds for wanting to be politically self-determining; but that recognizing the claims of nationality does not entail suppressing other sources of personal identity, such as ethnicity. Finally, he considers the claim that national identities are dissolving in the late twentieth century. This timely and provocative study offers the most compelling defence to date of nationality from a radical perspective.

Claims to self-determination are rife in world politics today. They range from Scottish and Catalonian campaigns for independence to calls for the devolution of power to regions and cities. But what does self-determination actually mean? Is it meaningful or desirable in the 21st century, or merely a dangerous illusion?
In this book, David Miller mounts a powerful defence of political self-determination. He explains why it is valuable, and examines how groups must be constituted if they are to have the capacity to be self-determining, arguing that geographic proximity alone is not enough: group members must also identify with each other. He then explores the different political forms that self-determination can take, and suggests some realistic constraints on how it can be achieved in a complex multicultural and multinational world. He concludes that it is still both feasible and important for people to regain control over their environment by exercising their collective agency.
This topical and lively introductory book will be essential reading for anyone concerned by the theoretical issues raised by the various secessionist and nationalist movements around the world.

Nationalism is a dominating force in contemporary politics, but political philosophers have been markedly reluctant to discuss, let alone endorse, nationalist ideas. In this book David Miller defends the principle of nationality. He argues that national identities are valid sources of personal identity; that we are justified in recognizing special obligations to our co-nationals; that nations have good grounds for wanting to be politically self-determining; but that recognizing the claims of nationality does not entail suppressing other sources of personal identity, such as ethnicity. Finally, he considers the claim that national identities are dissolving in the late twentieth century. This timely and provocative book offers the most compelling defence to date of nationality from a radical perspective. Series description Oxford Political Theory presents the best new work in contemporary political theory. It is intended to be broad in scope, including original contributions to political philosophy, and also work in applied political theory. The series will contain works of outstanding quality with no restriction as to approach or subject matter.

This book introduces readers to the concepts of political philosophy. It starts by explaining why the subject is important and how it tackles basic ethical questions such as 'how should we live together in society?' It looks at political authority, the reasons why we need politics at all, the limitations of politics, and whether there are areas of life that shouldn't be governed by politics. It explores the connections between political authority and justice, a constant theme in political philosophy, and the ways in which social justice can be used to regulate rather than destroy a market economy. David Miller discusses why nations are the natural units of government and whether the rise of multiculturalism and transnational co-operation will change this: will we ever see the formation of a world government?

Drawing upon the work of Karl Popper and W.W. Bartley III, this text argues for an approach to rationality freed from authoritarian dependence on reasons and justification. It proposes an objectivist interpretation to make sense of single-case probabilities, even in a deterministic universe.

The thesis of liberal nationalism is that national identities can serve as a source of unity in culturally diverse liberal societies, thereby lending support to democracy and social justice. The chapters in this book examine that thesis from both normative and empirical perspectives, in the latter case using survey data or psychological experiments from the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, and the UK. They explore how people understand what it means to belong to their nation, and show that different aspects of national attachment - national identity, national pride, and national chauvinism - have contrasting effects on support for redistribution and on attitudes towards immigrants. The psychological mechanisms that may explain why people's identity matters for their willingness to extend support to others are examined in depth. Equally important is how the potential recipients of such support are perceived. 'Ethnic' and 'civic' conceptions of national identity are often contrasted, but the empirical basis for such a distinction is shown to be weak. In their place, a cultural conception of national identity is explored, and defended against the charge that it is 'essentialist' and therefore exclusive of minorities. Particular attention is given to the role that religion can legitimately play within such identities. Finally the book examines the challenges involved in integrating immigrants, dual nationals, and other minorities into the national community. It shows that although these groups mostly share the liberal values of the majority, their full inclusion depends on whether they are seen as committed and trustworthy members of the national 'we'.

It is not unusual for people in countries with limited job opportunities and economic resources to want to seek a better life in different lands. This is especially so for those who come from countries where they are treated poorly, discriminated against, or worse. But moving from one country to another in large numbers creates serious problems for receiving countries as well as those sending them.
How should Western democracies respond to the many millions of people who want to settle in their societies? Economists and human rights advocates tend to downplay the considerable cultural and demographic impact of immigration on host societies. Seeking to balance the rights of immigrants with the legitimate concerns of citizens, Strangers in Our Midst brings a bracing dose of realism to this debate. David Miller defends the right of democratic states to control their borders and decide upon the future size, shape, and cultural make-up of their populations.
Reframing immigration as a question of political philosophy, he asks how democracy within a state can be reconciled with the rights of those outside its borders. A just immigration policy must distinguish refugees from economic migrants and determine the rights that immigrants in both categories acquire, once admitted. But being welcomed into a country as a prospective citizen does more than confer benefits: it imposes responsibilities. In Miller’s view, immigrants share with the state an obligation to integrate into their adopted societies, even if it means shedding some cultural baggage from their former home.

From 1949 to 1991 the world was overshaowed by the Cold War and the constant threat of global nuclear conflict. Only when it ended did the realities of what had been involved begin to emerge. Indeed, much has remained hidden until now.