古典德治的依憲治國功能——有關「德法合治」論的補充性說明

當代學者傾向于將傳統中國的政治模式形容為「儒法國家」，即以儒家意識形態正當化法家化的國家體制。這種「德法合治」有效地降低了統治成本，實現了長治久安。然而，這種純粹基於國家能力視角的解釋卻從側面呼應了「中國古代專制論」，進而使得從傳統中發掘出「依憲治國」資源變得不再可能。事實上，在「德法合治」之外，儒家德治理念有其自主性，這一理念經由法家化的國家體制，形成了一種清流主義的政治文化與心態，其內容大致包括道統與政統的分離、反績效主義的治理觀以及反形式主義的法律傳統。這樣的文化與心態雖未能固化為制度性傳統，但卻在歷史上起到了一定的規範公權力尤其是主權性權力的作用，而這正可作為當代「依憲治國」事業的傳統資源。

Contemporary scholars tend to describe the political mode of traditional China as a Confucian-legalist state, i.e., the ideology of Confucianism justified the legalist state system» and the enculturation function of co-governance of virtue and law effectively reduced the cost of ruling and achieved long- term stability. However, this explanation based purely on the perspective of state capacity echoes the theory of ancient Chinese despotism» which makes it impossible to find the resources of constitutional governance from traditional politics in China. In fact, beyond the co-governance of virtue and law, the Confucian idea of rule of virtue has its own autonomy. And this idea, through the legalistic state system, has formed a so-called ''literocracist'' political culture and mentality, which includes the separation of Confucian Moral Orthodox and Political Orthodox, an anti-meritocratic view of governance» and an anti-formalist legal tradition. Although such culture and mentality have not been solidified into institutional traditions, they have historically served to regulate the exercise of public power, especially sovereign power, which can serve as traditional resources for the contemporary constitutional governance in China.