論羅爾斯的公共理性觀

On Rawls's Idea of Public Reason

本文的目的在於闡明羅爾斯的公共理性觀念，並對之提出分析與批判。對羅爾斯而言，公共理性是民主公民身份的一種理想，它要求人們只能根據所有公民都能合理接受的理由來進行基本政治問題的討論。於是，公共理性可以在當代自由社會具合理多元的既定事實下，促成政治共識的產生。在這篇文章裡，筆者首先檢視羅爾斯提出的公共理性觀念。其次，筆者將討論四種對公共理性的批評。第三，筆者將分析羅爾斯晚期對公共理性觀念的修正是否、以及如何能夠對這些批評做出回應。在結論中筆者將指出，若缺乏具良好素養的公民，則羅爾斯依然無法解決群眾理性的問題。

The aim of this essay is to elucidate John Rawls's idea of public reason and its limits. According to Rawls, public reason is an ideal of democratic citizenship, which requires that the public discussion of fundamental political questions should be conducted solely in terms of reasons all citizens can reasonably be expected to endorse. Public reason can therefore produce a political consensus given the fact of reasonable pluralism of a liberal society.In this essay, I will begin by examining the idea of public reason proposed by Rawls. Next, I will consider four objections to this idea. Third, I will critically analyze whether and how the modified view of Rawls's latest thoughts on public reason can reply to these objections. In conclusion, I point out that, without well-educated citizens, Rawls cannot resolve the problem of plebiscitory reason.