| The liberal thoughts of Francois Guizot has been disscussed by some researchers in the last 30 years.Thanks to those helpful studies,we know about Guizot’s liberal thoughts graudally.What those studies present to us is the variety of interpretation,which means the compelity and abuandant extent of Guizot’s thoughts.However,some of research may overlook or explain little about the dimension of history,human nature,society and politics in Guizot’s thoughts.It was based on those dimension that Guizot had proved his liberal contest.The question that Guizot needed to answer in his day is acquiring order and liberty in the new reality of French after the French revolution.It is this background that we start to talk about Guizot’s liberal thoughts.The situation of Franch request Guizot reflects the influence of French revolution on the one hand,criticizes and inherits the thought of 18th century on the other,futhermore responds contemporary debates at the same time.In the opinion of Guizot,liberty is the inner attribute of human nature,and has its historical feature.So it is indispensable for us to know about Guizot’s view of history and human nature.The historical view of civilization is the core content of Guizot’ historical view,which is much more complicated than other’s historical view for it contains not sole element,but the element of politics,society,and human heart and other.Guiozt proposed to unite philosophy with history in order to construct theory on reality,by this way avoid oneself trapping in reality.Using scientific method in the study of concrete history is advisable choice.So it need to combine two principle in reading history,which is the manner of annlysis and synthesis,the former can be called historical anatomy,the latter was historical physiology.To distinguish a stark sense of good from bad is not suitable for Guizot’s classification in human nature.Guizot assumed human nature was the mixture of trait.We seek to independence which has the dangerous trend of blind pride;we quest to live in a community and do not want to be salved,so chase justice all time;we value highly about equality,but make ourselves different when we compare with other.Liberty means geting rid of individual impulsive will and acting in the guide of reason in civilzation process.There is a trend that liberal status have transformed from nature to modern form in history.Human distaste isolated life and prefer to unite together in comunity,so liberty is one type of state in group life.In this environment,not only can individual be fully independed,but external conditions protect individual independence effectivity and guarantee everyone living in peace.Society and politics are different elements but relate each other closely,which back up the external condition of liberty.The analysis of society,which is an element of study,is very common in wirtings after the revolution,it is also not exceptional in Guizot’ thought.It will be beneficial for us to explore how thinkers gradually accept "society" as the object of study in history.We can understand why Guizot focus on "society" by this way.In the view of Guizot,society is consisted by human relationship,which means society is the ture state of nature.The complication of society depends on the diversity of human relationship.Society is independent on government,however,society can not live alone without the help of government.Government,if it want to be stable longer and stronger,must serach lots of support from society.In a word,socity co-exist with government.What is impossible is society and government living by seperating from each other.The interaction of society and government will have an influence on the extent of liberty of human.Guizot appeals repersentive government as the best form of polity which is suitable for the new society created by revolution.Focusing on society and social diversity makes Guizot’s liberal thoughts novelty,and stressing on respecting government and power distinguishs Guizot’s liberal theory from others’.As we know,Guizot had supported confirmedly liberial value,but resisted democratic politics strongly.The different democracy of society and politcis has replyed the question of Guizot’s democratic vision.There is on doubt that the answer is benefit for us to grasp Guizot’s thoughts,but this manner can not inclusive all thing.Several points has been overlaped by this distinction,for example,the history ideal of democracy,changed democracy view,and the surrounding of democracy.Guizot had paid attention to the relation bettwen view of religious equality and democratic equality,the former permeated increasingly the latter in secularization.Nevertheless,the combative nature of democracy never changed in history.Obviously,the tension of liberty and democracy is attractive in Guizot’s view.This tension is that Guizot thinks the democratic society,borned in the movement of democracy,featured as equality,can be admitted.However,democratic society can not rely on government building on the democratic principal.What make Guizot worries about democracy is not just the tendency of tyrany in majority rule,but the practice of democracy have potential danger to expel parts of citizen in one country,even lead to tragic battles bettwen two camps in country.Modern country connecting with territory is one premise of Guizot political thought.If we want to relize liberty of democratic society in one country,the inevitable torrent of democratic movement must be limited and guided by other principals.Representative government is suitable with democratic society.Excpet for this form of institution,Guizot also called for politician who possessed responsibility and moral,appealed to his reader to accept difference in society and hoped every citizen had belife,the spirit of family and the political spirit.It will not useless for us to discover the content of Guizot’s liberal thoughts,and debate the relationship of liberty and democracy later.What we can achieve is to feel the tension of the topics,moreover reflect the common sense of liberal democracy. |
