The Social Bases Of Democracy: Studies On Lipset's Political Development Theory

Seymour Martin Lipset(1922-2006),who's the renowned scholar of political science and sociology in the 20^th century of the U.S.A.,centered his academic concern on political development of modern democracy in western political and social contexts,which was discussed in multi-dimensional theoretical angles.His academic origins can be traced back to an excellent academic tradition of Aristotle,Tocqueville,Max Weber and others.Moreover,his academic background can be traced back to the early stage political development theory.Lipset,who combined the two aspects,the democratization of political and social process and the rationalization of state authorty together to understand the task of construction of modern democratic state,and defined democracy under the two principles of "competitive" and "inclusive",made the theme of his political development theory as delineating the plural social bases of modern stable democratic polities.The plural social bases of stable democratic polities that discussed in Lipset's political development theory include the material basis build in economic development,the basis of political culture of democracy,and the basis of political and social structure of democracy.During the process of economic development,that is the development of industrialization,urbanization,growth of social wealth,education and mass media etc.,the material basis can be build up,which leads to the political and social transition forging the advantageous political culture,political and social structure,and will finally sustain the stability of democracy.In the political culture of the balance of consensus and conflict,pluralistic value-orientations,in the construction of political legitimacy through the accumulation of traditional,Charismatic and legal-rational legitimacy,political men can break out of Prisoners' Dilemma and cooperate through dialogue, discussion,adaptation and tolerance,which can in the end be of avail to the stability of democracy.The stability of democracy can also be sustained in the integrating and balancing structure of political state and civil society,by which the rational relationship of power and right can be defined,and in civil society which makes political men more mature and rational to avoid "political manipulation" and make wise political choices,constructs cross-cutting relations and pressures,shapes the social capital of inter-personal trust,and also in the bridging role of political party which leads to the positive interaction of political and civil society,and also in the social structure of the rule of law,by which the integrating and balancing structure of political state and civil society can be normalized.Under an open academic vision,the stable democracy of plural social bases that illustrated by Lipset is a normatively academic picture of a politically and socially open society.Lipset presented his rigorous academic thinking,academic logic of consciousness and deliberation,and his way of panoramic style of academic construction in his academic perspective of multi-variate deconstruction and link/reconstruction and comparative history.In his political development theory,we can understand democracy from an academic perspective of empirical theory, which also provide us a way of synthesized study on the theme of political development of democracy in China,and reveals the importance of the plural social bases needed in democratic polities to political development of socialism democracy in China.