《左传》中的“民主”与早期民本思想

“Democracy” in Zuo Zhuan and Early People-Based Thought

摘要: 《左传》是人们了解先秦历史的珍贵史书，“民主”一词在《左传》中多次出现。这里的“民主”并不是做民众的主人，而是为民做主之意，强调的是保民利民。由于春秋时期民众力量的日益强大，民众对于稳固国家和对外征战起到的作用日益强大，所以国君更加重视民众的力量。这表现在人神关系上，更加重视现实中人的力量；在君臣关系上，君主不仅要具备治国才能且不可独断专行，君臣是匹偶关系；在君民关系上，君主要保民爱民，这种思想与民本思想有一定的相似性，但同时也为后来的君权膨胀奠定了基础。

Abstract: Zuo Zhuan is a precious historical book to understand the history of the Pre-Qin Dynasty. The word “democracy” has appeared many times in Zuo Zhuan. The “democracy” here is not to be the master of the people, but to be the people having rights, emphasizing the protection and benefit of the people. Because of the growing strength of the people in the Spring and Autumn Period, the people played a more and more important role in stabilizing the country and fighting against foreign aggression, so the monarch paid more attention to the power of the people. In the relationship between man and god, people’s power is paid more attention; in the relationship between monarch and minister, the monarch has the ability to govern the country and cannot be arbitrary; in the relationship between monarch and people, people-oriented thought has some similarities, but also laid the foundation for the subsequent expansion of monarchy.