失望與民主

Disappointment and Democracy

當今民主體制之在生活於其中的公民之間引起諸種失望，已是一明顯之事實。這些失望一方面使政治過程更形顛簸，另一方面更影響特定之民主體制的正當性。做為民主理論的一環，本文將從當代民主研究相對較為忽視之失望這一視角進行切入，分析並探討對民主失望的諸種因由，進而檢視關於如何走出失望的代表性論述。最後，將從「自由人的防衛式民主」這一架構，申說個人自由的確保以及政治之外的生活場域的維護，乃是民主政體的核心要務，亦是使其得以包容、涵納諸種失望與不滿的關鍵所在。要之，相較於激進民主理論的泛政治化傾向，「自由人的防衛式民主」則更多地寄希望於節制政治的膨脹。這乃是將個人自由視為第一要義的不得不然的選擇。

Disappointment comes from the negation of expectations one holds by existing facts. It is in essence a negative feeling with grief and regret. It is generally agreed that contemporary democracies have incurred diverse disappointments in different aspects, and thus make them fragile and delicate. This article focuses on this very perspective of disappointment to tackle the origins of it, its further consequences and its possible solutions. Finally, through the framework of ''the defensive democracy of the free'', this article argues that the core mission of a democracy is to secure individual liberty and to defend life beyond politics. The deep-seated idea of the primacy of politics is a façade. Politics exists chiefly to serve the far broader life beyond politics. Excessive politics will lead to still greater disappointment.