新近一个时期，因应传统文化的全面复兴与文化“走出去”的现实需要，原本被束之高阁的以儒学为代表的传统思想文化资源，得益于意识形态触媒的接引，而与当下时代发生了化合反应，重又走向思想文化论争的前沿，接受时代的检视、省察和创造性转换。恰值此时，国际思想文化市场的风向也发生了逆变，英美民粹主义思潮的意外涌起和政治自由主义的严重受挫，又为以儒学为代表的传统思想文化资源的开掘，提供了全球性文化环境和难得际遇。也因此，相关学术讨论一时风生水起。贤能政治与民主政治对话的异军突起，即得益于古今中西之思想资源在这一时代节点上的因缘际会。贝淡宁的贤能政治主张并非“在沙滩上起高楼”，而是有其历史与思想文化基础，它是西方社群主义、精英主义基因与东方儒家政治文化资源的奇妙杂糅。这一理论主张所存在的致命缺陷，是既不能周延地解决权力来源合法性也即政治(程序)合法性这一根本性问题，也不能自足自洽地解决权力的制度性监督与制约难题，更无力提供根本性制度安排，以保护“少数派”的权利甚至基本人权不受侵害。本质上隶于总体性权力架构的贤能政治，其未来命运究当如何，取决于儒家政治哲学、中国道路以及民主政治之间的互动及其前景。
Meritocracy, or Democracy?—A Review of the Debates on “Political Meritocracy”
Liu Jingxi
Recently, in response to the revival of traditional culture and practical need of Chinese culture “going global,” the traditional ideological and cultural resources represented by Confucianism again move toward the frontier of ideological and cultural debates with the guidance of ideology, and receive examination, reflection, and transformation of the times. At this moment, the unexpected upsurge of Populism in the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as severe setback of political liberalism on the international market of ideology and culture, provide global environment and rare opportunity for digging traditional ideological and cultural resources; the related academic discussions then spring up. The rise of dialogue between political meritocracy and democratic politics just benefits from the chance at the time node. Daniel A. Bell’s proposition of political meritocracy has its historical, ideological, and cultural foundation, which is a fantastic blend of communalism, elitism, and Confucian political culture. The critical defects of this proposition lie in that it can neither solve the essential issue of the legality of power source, i.e. the legality of political procedure, nor solve the fundamental problem of institutional supervision and restriction of power. In addition, it cannot provide institutional arrangements to protect the political rights and basic human rights of minority. The future of political meritocracy essentially belonging to over-all power structure, hinges on interaction among Confucian political philosophy, Chinese path, and democratic politics, as well as the prospect of such interaction.
