Calvin and Natural Rights

Abstract

This article applauds the recent rise of scholarly attention to studying the relation of religion to natural rights in general and Calvinism in particular. Against the strong belief in some quarters that appeals to nature, including the idea of rights, do not play a significant role in Calvin's thought, the article concurs with recent (and some not so recent) work to the contrary, arguing that such appeals do occupy an important, if ambiguous, place for Calvin. However, the article resists explaining the variations in his thought as the result of changing interpretations over time. Rather, it is contended that these matters were a source of tension throughout Calvin's career. He struggled not so much with the question of the natural knowledge of rights, but of the ability to choose to act on that knowledge. In conclusion, the article hints that Calvin's ambivalence on this issue sowed the seeds for significant divergence among his descendants.     

Lincoln,Race, and the Spirit of ’76

Abstract

This essay examines how Lincoln dealt with race, slavery, and emancipation in antebellum America. It argues that despite a few controversial statements and policies regarding black Americans, Lincoln sought to preserve the American union and its system of self-government by reclaiming the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. Unlike U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas, who exploited white bigotry in his promotion of local “popular sovereignty” as a solution to the slavery controversy, Lincoln highlighted the natural rights of blacks as a way to prevent the spread of slavery and thereby save what he would later call “the last best hope of earth.”     

The First Circle and the Last Man: Solzhenitsyn's Political Science

The author examines David Hume's History of England to elucidate his thoughts on the subject of education. He argues that education's ability to improve moral judgments drives Hume's interest. With this in mind, the idiosyncratic review of English literature scattered throughout Hume's History can be seen in its proper light. Finally, the author suggests History represents Hume's best effort to develop a literary style capable of improving morals.     

杰斐逊的联邦制思想与“国内改进”政策的延滞

对杰斐逊而言,联邦制意味着联邦政府和各州政府共同分享国家主权,其中,联邦政府享有管理对外事务(包括国际和州际事务)的权力,而各州政府则享有管理对内事务的权力。他主张对宪法进行严格解释,强调联邦政府的权力严格地限于宪法中所列举的范围。在杰斐逊执政时期,他赞同联邦政府进行国内改进(即交通建设),但是,由于宪法并没有明确授予联邦政府进行国内改进的权力,他强调必须通过一项宪法修正案,明确授予联邦政府有关权力,其目的在于维护他关于联邦制的一贯主张,维护联邦政府和各州政府之间的权力划分。主要由于杰斐逊的联邦制思想的阻碍,联邦政府的国内改进政策始终延滞不前。     

A comparative survey of the economic decline of Empires

Abstract

On 15 December 1965 Tanzania broke off diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom (UK) because of Harold Wilson's policy towards Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). Although Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere took this course of action to comply with a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Organisation of African Unity, he made the support for Rhodesian independence a central pillar of Tanzania's nation-building project. Since 1967 human dignity, African liberation and opposition to racialism and colonialism became central tenets of both Tanzania's foreign policy as well as the Ujamaa socialist policy implemented internally by its government. The loss of a British £ 7.5 million loan notwithstanding, Tanzania's unyielding criticism of British policy towards UDI strengthened Nyerere's national and international legitimacy and reinforced the Tanganyika African National Union's hegemony over the national political space. Relations between Tanzania and the UK were finally restored in July 1968, after the other African governments had re-established them. Nyerere felt sure that this policy reversal would not put at risk his government's political legitimacy.     

城：夏商时期对自然资源的控制问题

本文主要从中心——周边系统相互关系的角度探讨了晋南地区两个商城的政治经济活动,特别是跨地域的控制和运输重要自然资源的问题,并认为聚落形态的变化尤其是城的兴衰,应从政治、经济系统的角度考察。在中国早期国家发展阶段,政治中心从周边地区掠取重要自然资源战略的改变,往往会影响人口的移动和城市的兴衰。     

试论在美国的中国公民权益受侵犯及其保护

针对目前在美国的中国公民权益受侵犯案件时常发生的现状,结合对从美国回来的华侨进行的社会调查,从国际法的视角,分析了在美国的中国公民权益受侵犯的主要现象和原因;指出了侵犯在当地的中国公民权益,是对国际法上关于国际人权保护和反种族歧视原则的践踏;并就如何保护在美国的中国公民权益问题提出了自己的看法。     

自然灾害与自然条件对困难时期饥荒形成的影响

困难时期的大饥荒 ,尽管主要是人为错误带来的恶果 ,但是 ,从实事求是的态度出发 ,不应该夸大也不应该否定自然灾害的影响。根据计算结果 ,1 961年的人口损失比较明显地受到自然灾害的影响。由于自然条件的差异 ,条件差的地区人口损失更为严重。     

19世纪英国的政治民主化与女权运动

工业化与政治民主化是19世纪英国历史的主旋律。在工业化的浪潮中,许多妇女走向社会,走进劳动力市场,成为独立的雇佣劳动,从而扩大了眼界,增强了独立意识。在社会政治民主化运动中,她们接受自由主义思想,参与党派活动、宪章运动和反谷物法斗争,甚至独立开展争取妇女选举权、与男性平等的经济权和社会立法权运动,向社会显示自身的实力,不仅改变了轻视妇女的传统社会立法,提高了女性的经济地位和社会地位,而且有力地推进了国家的民主化进程。     

Introduction: The historiography of slavery in the Danish-Norwegian West Indies,c. 1950-2016.

This introduction to the special issue ‘Slavery, Servitude and Freedom in the Danish-Norwegian West Indies, 1672–1848’, edited by Niklas Thode Jensen and Vibe Maria Martens, situates the five essays in the issue in the framework provided by previous research. It begins with a historiographical overview of research carried out since c. 1950 concerning Caribbean and Danish-Norwegian West Indian racial slavery, and continues to locate the essays within this field and its recent historiographical trends. The introduction ends with a brief overview of the history of the Danish-Norwegian and later the Danish West Indies to provide the general context for the five essays.     

Natural Right and The Origin of Species

Abstract

This article concerns the relationship between Abraham Lincoln's natural right argument against slavery and contemporary Darwinian biology. It is frequently supposed that the latter undermines the former. I argue to the contrary that natural right has been rediscovered independently by modern Darwinian biology, and that it largely confirms Lincoln's understanding of human nature.     

我国旅游者合法权益保护问题的思考

随着旅游业在国民经济发展中的地位日益重要,旅游者合法权益保护问题也越发成为人们关注的焦点。本文探讨了旅游者合法权益保护的重要意义,对我国旅游者合法权益保护的现状进行了系统论述,对现阶段我国旅游者合法权益保护存在的主要问题及其成因做了深入分析。在此基础上,提出了旅游者合法权益保护系统的概念,尝试建立一种高效的旅游者合法权益保护系统模型。     

重商观念与晚清利权意识的演进

在近代中国,利权概念的核心内涵是经济主权,是对经济独立权的诉求。利权意识在20世纪初年的变化加重了晚清重商观念内在矛盾。利权意识的强化虽显示了晚清经济民族主义的勃发,但也展现了重商观念存在着偏差和不成熟的成分。     

南京政府初期文科与实科比例失衡的社会政治效应

南京政府所谓的“青年问题”实质上反映了它们对1920年代和1930年代中国政治继续动荡的恐惧与抵制。民初以来的高等教育,其文科与实科的比例结构与社会需求之间严重失衡倾向的日益积累,导致了越来越多游离于社会生产结构之外的文科学生成为批判现实的社会科学最为热情的接受群体。当他们的切身遭遇在学理上被引向对社会制度的道德质问时,社会科学表现为20世纪30年代具有颠覆性的一种时尚。这些学生也由此为抗议南京政府的政治组织所吸纳,从而掀起了此起彼伏的让南京当局头痛的政治风浪。     

改革以前的中国共产党与自然科学基础理论研究

毛泽东是中国共产党科技思想发展的奠基者和探索者。他认为,科学技术是认识自然、改造自然、争取自由的思想武装;是推动生产力发展的革命力量;是经济和社会发展的重要动力;是社会主义本质的内在要求;是实行社会主义现代化的关键因素;是发挥社会主义制度优越性、赶超世界先进水平的重要保证。发展科学技术,要坚持跨越式发展和重视基础理论研究的统一;坚持自力更生和争取外援的统一;坚持社会革命和技术革命的统一;坚持培养人文精神和科学精神的统一;坚持党的领导和百花齐放、百家争鸣的统一;坚持发挥科学技术专家和普通工人群众的作用。毛泽东科技思想为邓小平科技思想的形成和发展奠定了理论基础。     

晚清政府与罗马教廷的外交历程

1881-1892年,以李鸿章为主的清政府官员,一致主张联络罗马教廷,废除法国保教权,稳定中国基督教局势。总理衙门采纳这种主张,并努力将其付诸实践,却由于法国政府的干扰而未能成功。1892年后,清政府官员对联络罗马教廷的主张发生分化。陈其璋等人建议继续实践,而薛福成等人则认为不能将解决中国教案问题的希望寄托于罗马教廷,主张另辟蹊径。总理衙门的意见与薛福成等人相似,自1896年后放弃与罗马教廷建交通使的计划。19021906年,吕海寰等官员发起建议联络罗马教廷的新高潮,但清政府未予采纳。     

论明治宪法中议会预算审议权的形成

1889年的明治宪法是一部以天皇大权为中心的专制宪法,议会的权限有限,但是由于它被赋予了重要的预算审议权等财政权限,促使战前日本天皇制的政治体制中竞产生了政党政治。那么,宪法的缔造者——伊藤博文为什么会把这么重要的权力赋予议会？有学者认为,伊藤博文等人对“宪政及各类政体的精神”有着“深刻的理解”是重要原因。而本文则通过对近世以来日本地方上存在的租税协议惯行、明治维新后地方民会和府县会的预算审议权以及宪法发布前政府及民党的宪法草案内容等进行分析,认为议会拥有预算审议权等财政权限已是当时普遍的基本的认识,具有广泛的社会基础,伊藤博文不可能逆社会潮流而动也是重要的原因之一。     

清末民初上海公共租界会审公廨法权之变迁(1911～1912)

清末民初,上海公共租界会审公廨法权较之以往发生了重大的变化。《申报》对此作有较为详细的报道,以此为考察材料,通过对法权变化内容的分析和这一过程的动态重构,以期从中透视变乱之际中外权势转移的动态情景,并得以多层面、多视角得认识中国法制近代化的艰辛历程。     

天变灾异与熙宁变法

在熙宁变法期间,当天变灾异发生时,宋神宗不敢放弃对天的信仰,不敢放弃天人感应说;王安石徘徊于天道自然观与天人感应说之间,也没有能力说服宋神宗接受他的天道自然观;反变法派则借机大肆攻击,恰中宋神宗与王安石的弱点。天变灾异使安石变法陷入困境,是熙宁变法失败的关键因素之一。