權力精英與大眾社會：現代社會的權力結構問題探討

Power Elite and Mass Society--on the Problem of Power Structure of Modem Society

本世紀初的意大利出現了由所謂的「新馬其亞維里主義者」所提倡的精英理論。此理論一方面批評馬克思主義者的「無階級社會」觀念的非現實性，一方面也指出大眾民主主義的出現將危及古典民主主義的理念。後來隨著科技的高度發展、巨大官僚組織的出現、國家形態的重大變遷（由立法國家到行政國家、由夜警國家到福祉國家），精英理論繼續受到重視。在今日它已在社會及政治學理論領域裡佔著重要地位。這些理論可以分為「權力精英論」及「多元精英論」，與馬克思的「統治階級論」，三分鼎足，成為分析現代社會的權力結構的重要典範(Paradigm)。本文先分析G, Mosca, V. Pareto及R. Michels等精英理論產生的時代背景及其主要內容，並進而探索隨著社會及國家形態的變遷，此理論的發展及演變情形。重點放在第二次世界大戰以後美國的兩位大眾社會理論家C. Wright Mills以及D. Riesman的有關「權力精英論」及「多元社會論」的對立概念的比較分析。著者認為這兩種互為對立的典範，均可視為一種「理念型」(ideal type)，各個社會的實際權力分配情形，可以此理念型為嚮導，以進行實證性研究，才能逼近真象。著者指出對權力性質之誤解以及過份偏重精英的功能而忽略了大眾對權力結構的潛在影響力，乃是今日精英理論的最大缺陷。現代社會存在著自由與效率、權力集中化與民主理念之間的緊張關係。要克服此矛盾，其主要關鍵在大眾本身的質的轉變：由消極被動轉變為積極主動，由「個的存有」轉變為「類的存有」。而在今日的民主社會中充分存在著這種促發大眾主動轉變的社會條件。

Through the efforts of the “Neo-Machiavellists”of Italy we see the emergence of elite theory in the begining of this century. It criticized the Marx’s concept of classless society as a modem utopia or social myth on one hand, and the concept of mass democracy which, they were afraid, would endanger the ideal of liberal democracy on the other hand. Since then elite theory has had a prominent place both in social theory and political doctrine, partly because of such social changes during this century as the development of high technology, the appearance of big scale organizations and the change of the nature of state, from a“nightwatch state”to a welfare state. The author discussed first the social background and the ideological nature of the early elite theories such as those of G. Mosca, V. Pareto and R. Michels. Emphasis has been laid on the comparative analysis of C. Wright Mills’“power elite theory” and D. Riesman’s “plural elite theory”. It is concluded that both paradigms of elite theory should be considered as Max Weber’s concept of“ideal type” and should be dealt with as such. The power structure of each particular society should be examined empirically in the light of these frameworks. The contradiction between power elite concept and the ideal of democracy, or between organizational efficiency and individual liberty which seems inescapable in modern society could better be overcome by the growth of a new mass which has been transformed from“individual beings”to“species beings＂,from the feudalistic subjects to the citizens of modem society with full awareness of modernity. The social conditions of such transformation do strongly exist in modern democratic society.