Ernst Forsthoff、生存照顧及國家與社會的二元性：論Forsthoff社會國思想的性質問題

Ernst Forsthoff's Concept of the Social State: Daseinsvorsorge and the Dualism of State and Society

Ernst Forsthoff是德國著名公法學者，其對於社會國與法治國在憲法上無法兼容之論斷，於上世紀五○年代開啟了德國學界關於法治國與社會國關係之辯論。本文從政治理論的視角，梳理Forsthoff的社會國思想，闡釋Forsthoff為何主張，社會國與法治國不但在憲法上無法相容，且後者優先於前者。同時筆者論證，對於Forsthoff而言，1945年之後的德國，由於缺乏精神的自我表述，國家領域被社會領域所支配；因此社會國實踐只代表社會上有組織之利益團體的分殊利益，不能代表公共利益。基於此，Forsthoff有關法治國原則優先於社會國原則的主張，就不是單純的自由主義式、保護個人基本權利之主張，亦有在國家與社會二元性中強化國家的意圖。

This article offers an interpretation of Ernst Forsthoff's social state thoughts from the perspective of political theory. It explains why, according to Forsthoff, the social state and the rule of law are not only constitutionally incompatible, but also why the latter takes precedence over the former. This article seeks to determine whether Forsthoff's above mentioned assertion is consistent with his negative comments on the rule of law, or how we should understand this apparent discrepancy. It can be argued that, for Forsthoff, the post-1945 German state, constrained by the historical circumstances of the German nation, lacked a sense of state spirit or spiritual self-expression. This resulted in a political sphere that was dominated by the social sphere. Consequently, the practice of the social state merely reflected the disparate interests of organised interest groups in society, and was thus unable to represent the public interests. From this perspective, Forsthoff's assertion that the principle of the rule of law takes precedence over that of the social state in legal and political order is not merely a liberal assertion. It also has the intention of (re-) strengthening the state in its relationship with the social sphere.