绝对主权式微后的臣民自保困境及其出路——基于霍布斯《比希莫特》的省思

The Predicament of Self-Preservation for Subjects after the Decline of Absolute Sovereignty and Its Way out—Reflections on Hobbes’ Behemoth

摘要: 《比希莫特》被视为霍布斯政治哲学的现实性证明，在历史视域下为其哲学思想提供了经验层面的补充，展现了在绝对主权式微之后，臣民面临着难以实现自我保全的困境。主权者的意志消解、权力分散、军权丧失皆在绝对主权式微之时便应运而生，意志的消解动摇了主权者的权力合法性，权力的分散割裂了主权者并为其行动设置了各种阻碍，军权的丧失让主权者的权力彻底失去了威慑力，三者严重阻碍臣民自我保全的实现。若要摆脱此困境，唯有重建绝对主权，才能实现自我保全。

Abstract: Behemoth is regarded as a realistic proof of Hobbes’s political philosophy. It provides an empirical supplement to his philosophical thoughts from a historical perspective. It shows that subjects are faced with a predicament of hardly achieving self-preservation after the decline of absolute sovereignty. The sovereign’s dissolution of will, decentralization of power and loss of military power all came into being when absolute sovereignty declined. The dissolution of the will shakes the legitimacy of the sovereign’s power. The decentralization of power divides the sovereign and sets up various obstacles to his actions. The loss of military power makes the sovereign’s power completely lose its deterrent effect. The three factors seriously hinder the realization of the self-preservation of the subjects. To get out of this predicament, only by reestablishing absolute sovereignty, can we achieve self-preservation.