略论西方民主政治的理论基础

根据西方的民主理论，民主政治应当体现为多数人的统治。但是，如果多数的权力不受制约，多数人进行统治并不一定带来真正的民主政治，因为集体的智慧是有限的，多数的无限权威容易导致权力的滥用，多数的交易规则对少数人具有强制作用，这样常常会产生多数人忽视少数人权益的现象。因此，要使多数人的民主成为多数善政，要使民主政治具有适当的制度基础，就要对多数投票决定问题的范围加以限定，少教人应当被给予更大程度的自治，司法体系和社会力量要充分利用起来对多数的权力加以制衡。

On the Theoretical Basis of Western Democracy

According to the democracy theory of the West, a democratic government should take the form of the rule of the majority. But if not restricted, the rule of the majority can not necessarily produce real democracy, because collective wisdom is limited and the boundless authority of the majority is prone to bring about power abuses. Moreover, since the bargaining rules of the majority can exert coercive effect on the minority, the minority is often ignored and slighted by the majority. Therefore, in order to make the democracy of the majority to become the good government of the majority, and to provide democracy with a sound foundation, it is necessary to circumscribe the sphere in which the vote of the majority has the say. Accordingly, the minority should be given the most possibly great autonomy, and the power of the majority should be subjected to the sufficient check and supervision of the judicial system and the public.