Construction Of The Political System: Ideology And Domination

The intention of this study is primarily to reveal general knowledge of Regime-Constituting through deeply exploring the role of "Thought" in the constituting of the regime. While demonstrating it by expatiating on American Constitution-Making as a case, we also seek to shed light on the ideological basis of western modern regime as well as to make visible its hidden values and goals. We indicate furthermore that "Regime-Constituting" is fundamentally a legislative art which requires a high degree of political wisdom, or rather a kind of political action in the highest level which calls for the peaks of human excellence. On this basis, we also reflect on modern political civilization and western civilization itself in order to promote the understanding of Regime Transformation.Chapter I puts forward the main thesis: what role can "Thought" play in the constituting of the regime? In dealing with this problem, we discuss two related underlying issues from the outset: first, to what extent the regime is artificially made? And second, what should the criteria of a good regime be in reality?The analysis of the first question mainly depends on the distinction of two kinds of "Rationalism", and further, that of four kinds of "Nature". The "Political Reason" thus understood is not only holding a clear conscious of the limit of reason itself, but also having an active self-confidence of the realization of a good regime. Via man's political and legislative wisdom, it endeavors to construct a more beautiful life for human being as reach as man can. "Constituting the Regime" is, under the guidance of political idea with a whole vision and confronting the holistic environmental constraints formed in the historical changes from past to present, to create a new, absolute and dominant beginning for a political body.The discussion of the second question is, in fact, to provide a certain standard or target for "Regime-Constituting". A "Good Regime" as such should be able to keep a political body both "Harmonious and Orderly" and "Strong and Powerful"; or, more generally and cautiously, it should be sustainable in time and expandable in space. It is the basic characteristic of a good regime that it can most effectively respond to the overall political environments, both internal and external, to which it exposes.The next step is to discuss what role "Thought" plays in the constituting of the regime. Accordingly, we distinguish four kinds of "Thought", and besides we add a fifth kind of "Thought", namely, "Thinker's Thought". In this five kinds of "Thought", "Legislative Wisdom" is most critical, which is intended to contemplate, to judge and to decide "How to Constitute a Good Regime". The realization of a good regime entails both material and spiritual conditions, while the role "Thought" plays in the constituting of the regime is to provide the spiritual ones for it. Specifically, it provides for the good regime political ideas and living ideals, or value bases and strategic objectives, which are indispensible to a "Harmonious and Orderly" and "Strong and Powerful" political body. The dominant role of the legislative wisdom is then consisting in contemplating, judging and deciding the most appropriate and most effective ideological resources in various "Thought" - a role in which it provides the spiritual conditions for the realization of the good regime.The discussion of American Constitution-Making in Chapters II and III is aimed at exemplifying the argument in Chapter I.Chapter II, illustrated by the case of American Constitution-Making, studies the value basis of Regime-Constituting. The value basis of American regime is "Modern Republicanism" which is fundamentally different from Classical Republicanism and, to some extent, different from Modern Liberalism. The first and foremost reason why American legislators chose to found the United States on the basis of modern republicanism is to meet the practical needs of American society at that time, i.e. to create a strong and vigorous national government. "Modern Republicanism" was not only formed from many sources of ideas in history, but also was a product of ideological controversy. There was no other reason for the Federalists' victory than the fact that they had more political wisdom: they took into account the specific long-time-formed thoughts and feelings of colonies; they chose the felicitous and apt ideological resources for their own advantage; even more crucially, they were more able to meet the most intense desire of the community than their rivals. In addition, American legislators also had conscious creativity. That they could eventually build American regime on the highly inclusive and flexible basis of modern republicanism must give credit to their own accommodating and creating in political thoughts.Chapter III, illustrated by the case of American Constitution-Making, discusses the strategic objectives of Regime-Constituting. By tracing several great thinkers' exposition of modern politics and its ends, we acquire clearer and better understanding of the "New Political Science" of American Founders and the political objectives of American Constitution-Making. Specifically, the direct goal of American Constitution-Making was to construct a strong and vigorous national government, and its fundamental aim was to protect people's Rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Modern republicanism was the value end of American Constitution-Making, while modern republican regime was the systematic one which to some extent reflected the unity of the end and the form. The strategic objective of American Constitution-Making was most prominently embodied in the U.S. broad seal, and particularly, in the three inscriptions on it. "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of Many, One) was the fundamental strategic objective of American Constitution-Making. It firstly referred to the realization of freedom, stability, harmoniousness and order within the political body, and secondly to the assurance of the political body be strong and powerful, especially be sufficiently defensive for the aggression of outside enemies. The "New Order" had more general significance. The implication of "Novus Ordo Seclorum" (A New Order of the Ages) was not only to hope that American republican regime could withstand the flow of time, but also that the modern republican regime it represented could successfully replace the traditional "Old Order" and become a common choice of human being. This strategic intent was more powerfully expressed in "Annuit Coeptis" (Providence had favored our undertakings).However, could the "Free" concept which is based on natural rights theory, especially the "Self-Government" concept which has a prominent expression of political freedom truly take on "the Fate of All Mankind"? May it be just an expression of certain particular faith and hope? Most fundamentally, dose it consist with the general needs of human nature itself and can it be satisfied by human nature itself? Perhaps the so-called universality it claims is not beyond any doubt.In Chapter IV, we deepen the theme of this dissertation by more general theorizing work. Eventually, "Constituting the Regime" has to face human life itself. Human life is a compound of flesh and soul. The reason why human being needs to be ruled and his self-government is hard to come into reality completely is fundamentally due to the physical existence of human life itself and the limitedness of his mental ability, which can also explain why "Regime-Constituting" is inevitably under some restrains. However, human being is also a spiritual existence with conscious and his quest for a good regime and beautiful life will never cease. That the "Thought" can play an important role in the constituting of the regime is rightfully derived from the thirst of human nature for the spiritual values and the meaning of life. Therefore, the regime constituted by "Thought" is not so much a power distribution system or a power exercising rule as fundamentally a way of life, an ideal of life; equelly, the governance carried out by "Regime" is not so much the ruling of man or system as fundamentally the ruling of "Thought" in human mind and behind the system. All the "Ruling", albeit in general terms means ruling by power and interests, yet ultimately, what really rule are thoughts, values and principles. The political body which can be entitled as a "Civilized" one in human world is not only due to that it is a "Community of Need", but also that a "Community of Spirit", a "Community of Culture" and a "Community of Meaning".The reflections on the modern political civilization and western civilization that the "Free Government" represents distribute in the discourse of Chapter IV. Finally, we give a brief commentary on American Republican Regime as well as the purpose of this dissertation.