27 Jan 93
FE/1597 B2/2
the enforcers of state power shall not infringe upon the citizens' rights. In this connection, the citizens have the right to elect and recall enforcers of state power, and to discuss and participate in state affairs and to have a say in state decision- making.
Democracy cannot be realized by simply giving orders. The realization of democracy needs the growth of sense of autonomy and self-consciousness and the establishment of a common understanding on the concepts of freedom, equality, universal love and justice among quite a number of people, apart from a series of political, economic and cultural conditions. To become perfect, democracy needs the gradual integration and interaction of theory and practice. The realization of democracy also requires the mutual regulation among people and, in particular, the self-restraint by each individual. Without conscious self-restraint by individuals, especially by those who have the power and capacity of influencing society, democracy can hardly be realized or perfected. This is particularly so in China.
[THEORIES OF DEMOCRACY]
Of course, some people will disagree with me on my above description and understanding of democracy, or they may cite one foreign theory on democracy or another to amend or supplement my view, or refute mine with some China-made theories on democracy. All such responses are welcome and I believe they are definitely necessary. And I am willing to have frank discussions with them on an equal footing, because I am sure that my description and understanding certainly have some unrealistic and imperfect points. Various statements and interpretations of democracy certainly have, and should have, something in common, as well as differences. I believe that China's theory on democracy can only be founded and perfected in a spirit of freedom, equality and tolerance to different opinions and through the discussion on, comparison between, mutual amendment to, and mutual supplement of different views on democracy...
But I would like to emphasize one thing: What should actually be used as the criterion to judge whether a Chinese theory on democracy is correct and necessary or not? Should it be any foreign theories on democracy (including those originated from the West and the former Soviet Union)? Or should it be a prescription by a certain authoritative person? In my opinion, there is only one criterion, that is, to see whether a theory can suit our needs and is conducive to our pursuit (including our personal needs and pursuit as well as our nation's needs and pursuit). For the time being, the criterion is to see whether a theory can suit the needs and is conducive to the pursuit of the modernization of the state and society. In other words, different needs and pursuits will give rise to different attitudes towards different versions of democracy.
[DIFFERENT ATTITUDES]
Some people only want to survive and do not care about the way they live. What they need is the sustaining of their physical lives, the supply of clothing and food and filial propagation. They ignore human spiritual needs and give themselves up to the pursuit of comforts and creation. So they will not seek the
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right of freedom, the right to properties, the right to well-being and so on; and, of course, they will not be concerned about democracy. Only in a democratic society will all these rights be affirmed and safeguarded.
Some people only want to become wealthy. They seek a certain degree of freedom to chase a fortune, but they are not quite clear about the relations between economic development and political democracy and they do not quite care about human dignity and rights. Neither will they seek such political rights as the right to vote, the right of recall and the right to stand for election, or the right to freely convey ideas and air opinions. If a man believes it is worth becoming a deaf man, a blind man, or a mute (who turns a deaf ear and a blind eye and remains silent to state and social affairs), or even cheating others against his conscience, so long as he can make a fortune, then this man of course will not ask for any democracy. People in a democratic society not only want to work but also want to behave like humans; they not only want to be materially wealthy but also spiritually sound; and they not only want themselves to live well, but also want others to live well!
If some people attempt to retain their autocratic power and only want to live well and enjoy "freedom", but pay no attention to others' "freedom", or even resort to deprivation of others' well-being and freedom in pursuit of their own "freedom", rights and interests, then they will not advocate democracy, because only in an autocratic society can they enjoy the monopolized power and “freedom”.
Therefore, if we proceed from the various needs and pursuits on the part of all members of society, we should make a more realistic evaluation of the rationality and progressiveness of democracy. Then we will find that democracy is not equally indispensable and beautiful in everyone's eyes.
[DEMOCRACY AS AN OBJECTIVE NEED]
Facts of history have shown that democracy has become an objective need of China in its effort to sustain progress and development in the modern time. It is a pity that many people have no conscious and rational understanding of this need, or they on their part do not feel any subjective need for democracy. This being the case, we should work out a relatively comprehensive description and analysis of democracy in China, out of a sense of mission to found a theory and then turn in a consistent and convincing self-contained conclusion...
[CHINESE HISTORY]
In the traditional Chinese society that lasted several thousand years, the regulation of the subsistence culture which believes that "heavenly truth must be safeguarded at the expense of human desires" and that "no posterity is the greatest of the three unfilial acts"; the ethical restraints based on the belief that “a subject must be killed if the monarch wants him to end his life and a son cannot survive if his father wants him to die"; the tyrannous rule of the autocratic imperial court; and the restrictions due to the closed and limited small-scale peasant economy all greatly suffocated or even eliminated the spirit of autonomy, self-consciousness and initiative among the Chinese. People were deprived of almost all their sense and
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