中国的士大夫与民本思想
翻开历史我们会看到，中国历史上充满了残酷的压迫、剥削、残杀，但是欧洲也一样。我们没有公民概念，但是有所谓民本思想。人民生活的保障，不是通过伸张权利，而是通过例如官员和士人为民请命诸如此类。
Throughout the ancient Chinese history, we would see that there were as many scenes of ruthless oppression, exploitation and slaughtering as in European history. We had ever no concept of citizenship, but the so-called People-first thought. The people's livelihood was not safeguarded by their legal rights, but in the way that, for instance, scholars and officials appealed to the higher-ups or even the emperors for justice.
民本思想和中国独特的政治结构有关系。简短地说，这个政治结构就是，中国有士和士大夫的阶级。士不像贵族或草莽英雄，由于血统或英雄气概获得权力，他们的长处是受过教育、富有理性。他们本身不是权力的来源，而只是皇帝的办事员。士大夫之所以要服从于皇帝，是因为需要皇帝的权力，皇帝赋予他权力才能保证民本的实现。所以，他们劝谏皇帝，上疏、进谏，有时候是不要命的。在很大程度上，民本思想是因士大夫阶层的存在而存在的。而西方更多的是通过每一个公民自己以及公民社会进行权利上的斗争来保障自己的利益。虽然今天的中国跟传统上的中国相比已经面目全非了，但这一特点仍然依稀可见，在中国人的政治心理上仍然相当明显。
People-first thought has to do with the unique political structure of ancient China. To put it briefly, it had a stratum of scholars and scholar-officials. They were well-educated and very much rational, unlike aristocrats or heroes of the greenwood who gained power by blood relation and heroic spirit respectively. They themselves were not a source of power, only to run errands for the emperor. Their subjection to the emperor was in that they need him to confer power upon them in order to ensure People-first thought followed. Therefore, they often remonstrated and memorialized to the emperor, even at the risk of their lives sometimes. In large part, People-first thought came into being with the rise of scholar-officials. In the West, however, it is more of a struggle for their own interests by every single citizen and the civil society. Although today's China has changed dramatically, compared to the traditional one, this peculiar feature still flickers from time to time in our society and is obviously rooted in the political psyche of the Chinese people.
无论从社会身份上说，还是从思想内容上说，中国的士人都不大像西方的自由知识分子。他们在学问上、知识上，首先有的是政治关怀。他们的研究、思考方式始终都是高度的政治化、社会化或者伦理化的。对于中国读书人来说，很难设想他会去从事纯粹智性的追求，而和政治伦理无关。任何知识上的追求都是要跟“齐家、治国、平天下”连在一起，否则大家会觉得他太古怪，几乎要把他当成一个异类。
In terms of both their social status and ideological thoughts, ancient Chinese scholars and scholar-officials are quite different from the Western liberal intellectuals. Political concern comes first in their learning and in their pursuit of knowledge. To a high degree, their research and thinking is always politically, socially and ethically oriented. For ancient Chinese scholars, it is difficult to imagine that they would engage in purely intellectual doings, straying far from politics and ethics at the same time. Any of their pursuit of knowledge is for the purpose of “keeping family, country and the world in order”. Otherwise, one would be considered eccentric and very likely put down as an outcast.
Throughout the ancient Chinese history, we would see that there were as many scenes of ruthless oppression, exploitation and slaughtering as in European history. We had ever no concept of citizenship, but the so-called People-first thought. The people's livelihood was not safeguarded by their legal rights, but in the way that, for instance, scholars and officials appealed to the higher-ups or even the emperors for justice.
民本思想和中国独特的政治结构有关系。简短地说，这个政治结构就是，中国有士和士大夫的阶级。士不像贵族或草莽英雄，由于血统或英雄气概获得权力，他们的长处是受过教育、富有理性。他们本身不是权力的来源，而只是皇帝的办事员。士大夫之所以要服从于皇帝，是因为需要皇帝的权力，皇帝赋予他权力才能保证民本的实现。所以，他们劝谏皇帝，上疏、进谏，有时候是不要命的。在很大程度上，民本思想是因士大夫阶层的存在而存在的。而西方更多的是通过每一个公民自己以及公民社会进行权利上的斗争来保障自己的利益。虽然今天的中国跟传统上的中国相比已经面目全非了，但这一特点仍然依稀可见，在中国人的政治心理上仍然相当明显。
People-first thought has to do with the unique political structure of ancient China. To put it briefly, it had a stratum of scholars and scholar-officials. They were well-educated and very much rational, unlike aristocrats or heroes of the greenwood who gained power by blood relation and heroic spirit respectively. They themselves were not a source of power, only to run errands for the emperor. Their subjection to the emperor was in that they need him to confer power upon them in order to ensure People-first thought followed. Therefore, they often remonstrated and memorialized to the emperor, even at the risk of their lives sometimes. In large part, People-first thought came into being with the rise of scholar-officials. In the West, however, it is more of a struggle for their own interests by every single citizen and the civil society. Although today's China has changed dramatically, compared to the traditional one, this peculiar feature still flickers from time to time in our society and is obviously rooted in the political psyche of the Chinese people.
无论从社会身份上说，还是从思想内容上说，中国的士人都不大像西方的自由知识分子。他们在学问上、知识上，首先有的是政治关怀。他们的研究、思考方式始终都是高度的政治化、社会化或者伦理化的。对于中国读书人来说，很难设想他会去从事纯粹智性的追求，而和政治伦理无关。任何知识上的追求都是要跟“齐家、治国、平天下”连在一起，否则大家会觉得他太古怪，几乎要把他当成一个异类。
In terms of both their social status and ideological thoughts, ancient Chinese scholars and scholar-officials are quite different from the Western liberal intellectuals. Political concern comes first in their learning and in their pursuit of knowledge. To a high degree, their research and thinking is always politically, socially and ethically oriented. For ancient Chinese scholars, it is difficult to imagine that they would engage in purely intellectual doings, straying far from politics and ethics at the same time. Any of their pursuit of knowledge is for the purpose of “keeping family, country and the world in order”. Otherwise, one would be considered eccentric and very likely put down as an outcast.