为什么说民主党追求的大政府是天方夜谭的，不可能长远存在的？（中英文版）

有许多学者提出中国的王权专制社会里，官僚阶层对皇帝有反制作用，存在一种制衡，这种制衡是存在的，但是作用很有限。儒家的官僚阶层经常劝谏皇帝以儒家的仁德之君标准行事，但是如果皇帝不听谏阻的话，官僚阶层也没有办法。因为真正儒家是绝不敢冒犯皇帝权威的，更不用说起兵造反了，他们知道如果没有皇帝，将天下大乱，所以他们在皇帝不听劝谏下所能做也就是死谏，自杀成仁完成自己的使命。

刘备入川时，刘彰采纳张松的建议，欲接纳刘备，于是，“次日，刘彰上马出榆桥门。人报从事王累，自用绳索倒吊于城门之上，一手执谏章，一手仗剑，口称如谏不从，自割断其绳索，撞死于此地。刘璋教取所执谏章观之。其略曰：‘益州从事臣王累，泣血恳告：窃闻良药苦口利于病，忠言逆耳利于行。昔楚怀王不听屈原之言，会盟于武关，为秦所困。今主公轻离大郡，欲迎刘备于涪城，恐有去路而无回路矣。倘能斩张松于市，绝刘备之约，则蜀中老幼幸甚，主公之基业亦幸甚！’刘璋观毕，大怒曰：‘吾与仁人相会，如亲芝兰，汝何数侮于吾耶！’王累大叫一声，自割断其索，撞死于地，后人有诗叹曰：“倒挂城门捧谏章，拚将一死报刘璋。黄权折齿终降备，矢节何如王累刚！”这就是真正的儒家，宁愿自杀成仁，也不愿伤及皇帝一根毫毛。①

儒家是世俗社会最合理的学说，君主制是世俗社会最合理的制度，但是再合理的制度也抑制不了人性的贪婪堕落，既然君临天下手握生杀大权的皇帝，是如此的威风凛凛、不可一世，自然是每一个人的终极梦想，于是兄弟阋墙、骨肉相残的宫廷内斗也就是常事了。

“对于官僚机构历代官僚数量虽有不同，但有一个趋势是显而易见的，任何王朝末期官僚的数量都比王朝初期的大得了数倍至十数倍。例如公元627年，精明的唐太宗省并官职，偌大一个大唐帝国的京都一一百余万人口的长安，只留用了六百四十三至七百三十名京官，外官数量也相应较少，三十年后，高宗显庆年间，内外官员膨胀到一万三千四百六十五名。到元和年间（806—820）年文武官吏及诸色胥吏已达三十六万八千六百六十八人。如以当时全国纳税户一百四十四万计算，平均每七户就要供奉两个官员。宋朝官员膨胀情况更为惊人，从仁宗皇祐到哲宗元祐四十年间，就外官而论，节度使由三人增加到九人，两使留后由一人增到八人，观察使由一人增至十五人，防御使由四人增至四十二人。其他几类官吏人数从景德到元祐八十余年间平均增加了六倍。明初洪武时，文武官员为二万四千佘名，一百年后宪宗时膨胀为八万余名。机构的膨胀也很快，以蓟镇为例，原为一个机构，到神宗时，把边分为镇，一镇又分为三路，各路均设机构，这样，机构为原来的十二倍，官员为原额的三十倍。

宦官系统也是处于不断膨胀之中。洪武初年官尚不满百人，明中叶已达一万余人。明亡国时，仅宫内阉人就有七万，加上全国各地的共有十万。阉宦自成系统，有十二监、四司、八局，共二十的衙门。为宦官机构服务的爪牙更是多如牛毛，世宗时，第一次就裁革锦衣卫的三万余人，第二次又裁去十四万八千人。

在官僚机构中，吏员（办事人员）一般说来大约为国家官员的十余倍。东汉时按官制定额，内外文武官员为七千五百六十七人，而吏有十四万五千四百一十九人。史约为官的十九倍。唐代官吏总数为二十六万八千六百六十八人时，其中官员为一万七千六百八十六名，吏也为官的二十倍左右。如果王朝初期官员人数在一至三万左右③，到末期膨胀数倍达五至十万左右，那么吏员也就相应膨胀为百余万人了，这确实是十分惊人的。”③

王朝更迭的规律不是本书的主题了，论述这些主要是论证我下面章节将一直提到的，儒家学说的等级制、君主制是与世俗生活经验相符的，是最符合人性的，最符合人伦常理的，最合理的世俗学说，而自由、平等是反世俗生活的，反人性的，反人伦常理的，自由、平等来自于信仰，只有依托信仰才能存在。

注：

①引用自《三国演义》第六十回 人民文学出版社，罗贯中著

②引用自网络

③引用自《封建社会的超稳定结构》法律出版社出版，金观涛著 61页-65页

Many scholars have pointed out that in China’s autocratic monarchy society, the bureaucratic class has a counter effect on the emperors, and they checked and balanced the emperors. This check and balance actually exist, but its effect is very limited. The Confucian bureaucratic class often advised the emperor to act according to the Confucian standard of the benevolent king, but if the emperor did not listen to this advice, the bureaucratic class had no way. Because the real Confucianists never dare to offend the emperor’s authority, let alone strike a rebellion. They knew that the world would be in chaos without the emperor, so what they could do when the emperor didn’t listen to advice was to end his own life, die a hero’s death and complete their mission.

In “Romance of Three Kingdoms”, when Liu Bei entered Sichuan, Liu Zhang adopted Zhang Song’s suggestion and wanted to accept Liu Bei, so, “the next day, Liu Zhang mounted his horse to ride out to Elm Tree Bridge. Then a messenger reported to him: “Wang Lei has suspended himself, head downwards, at the city gate. He holds a written remonstrance in one hand and in the other a knife. And he says that if you heed him not, he will cut the rope and die at your feet.”

Liu Zhang went to the gate, took the writing, and read:

“Good medicine is bitter in the mouth but good for the disease; faithful words offend the ear but are good for the conduct. Of old King Huai of Chu listened not to Qu Yuan, but attended the meeting at Wu Pass and was captured by the state of Qin. Sir, you are thoughtlessly leaving your place to go to welcome Liu Bei, but I fear there is a way out and none in. Could you but behead Zhang Song in the marketplace and have nothing to do with this league with Liu Bei? It would be for the happiness of old and young and assure the safety of yourself.”

Anger rose in Liu Zhang’s breast as he read.

“Why do you insult me when I go to meet a kind man I feel as if I were about to enjoy the delight of seeing brother?”

At this time, Wang Lei gave a great cry, severed the rope, and fell to the ground battered and dead.”This is the real Confucianism. He would rather kill himself than hurt the emperor.①

Confucianism is the most reasonable theory of the secular society, and the monarchy is the most reasonable system of the secular society, but any reasonable system can not restrain the greed and degeneration of human nature. Since the emperor who reigns in the world and holds the power of life and death is so majestic and imperious, it is naturally everyone’s ultimate dream, so it is common for brothers and sisters to fight at each other’s throats, dog-eat-dog in court.

The main problem of Confucianism is not the unstoppable struggle for the throne but the endless expansion of the bureaucracy, that is, the unlimited growth of the members of the bureaucracy. It is also caused by the greed and degeneration of human nature. In “the super stable structure of china feudal society”, Mr. Jin Guantao explained this phenomenon as fish begins to stink at the head. Due to the emperor’s stupidity and incompetence, the bureaucracy was rotten. The unorganized forces grew irreversibly and finally led to an irreparable outcome. On this point, I disagree with Mr. Jin Guantao. I have repeatedly stressed that Confucianism is the best secular theory, most in line with the common sense of human relations and human nature. However, I have been demonstrating that human nature is greedy and degenerate, likes leisure, and hates work, so the best secular theory, which is in line with human nature and the common sense of human relations, is not necessarily the best and most reasonable theory.

The pyramid-like hierarchy of Confucianism itself caters to humans’ pursuit of human vanity, encourages the greed and degeneration of human nature, and emboldens people to achieve without effort and gain without pain. It uses interests and reputation as bait and encapsulates all the elites in the world to serve the emperor. Although Confucianism puts the emperor on a high-sounding veil, saying that their hierarchy can match his position with morality, which and the rule of kings are the best system. But first, there is no clear standard for ‘morality’. Second, how can he consciously match his position with morality under the greed and corruption of human nature? It is not surprising that most of the high-ranking people in Chinese history are flattering villains.Moreover, this immoral essence will inevitably lead to a vicious circle. Each level of the pyramid-like bureaucracy has greater interests and reputation than the low level and more gains without pain. Each level can determine the interests, reputation, and even life and death of the low level. It is the so-called Official’s rank superior to crush the inferior. Each step of upgrading can bring great interest and reputation; this encourages people to compete for high rank by any means, whether legitimate or illegitimate, just or unjust. It is the so-called no, “no risk no gain,” “fortune favors the daring,” and “the world is prosperous, all for interests; the world is bustling, all for benefits. “Even the ninth rank trivial officials and petty officials at the lowest level in the bureaucracy can get paid without work compared with the people at the bottom. It at least meets the minimum requirements of humans, whose nature is like leisure, hates work, and gains without work.

“Although the number of bureaucrats in the past dynasties is different, there is an obvious trend. At the end of any dynasty, the number of bureaucrats is several times, even several ten times larger than at the beginning of the dynasty. For example, in the 627 ad, the shrewd Taizong of the Tang Dynasty merged the Official position. Chang’an, the capital, the largest city of the Tang Empire, with a population of more than 1.1 million, only retained 643 to 730 officials, and the number of foreign officials was correspondingly small. Thirty years later, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong Xianqing, the number of officials expanded to 13465. By the years of Yuanhe (806-820), the number of civil and military officials and various petty officials had reached 36868. Based on the calculation of the country’s 1.44 million taxpayers at that time,  every seven households had to undertake two officials on average. The expansion of officials in the Dynasty Song was even more alarming. In the 40 years from ren zong,huang you to zhe zong , Yuan you, as for foreign officials concerned. The number of Military governors increased from three to nine, two stayed envoys, from one to eight, surveillance envoys, from one to 15, and defense envoys from four to 42. The number of other officials increased by an average of six times in more than 80 years from Jingde to Yuan you. During Hongwu Period in the early Ming Dynasty, there were 24000 civil and military officials, and more than 80000 in the Xianzong period a hundred years later. The expansion of institutions is also very fast. Take Ji Town as an example; It was initially an institution. When in Shenzong, the border was divided into towns, and one town was divided into three roads. Institutions were set up on each road. In this way, the institutions are 12 times the original amount, and the officials are 30 times the original amount.

The eunuch system was also expanding. There were less than 100 eunuch officials in the early years of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, but more than 10000 in the middle of it. When the Ming Dynasty was subjugated, there were 70000 eunuchs in the palace alone, plus 100000 in all parts of the country. Eunuchs had their own system. There are twelve prisons, four departments, and eight bureaus, a total of twenty Yamen. Minions serving eunuch organizations were as many as the hairs on an ox. When Shizong was in power, he cut more than 30000 royal eunuch guards for the first time and 148000 for the second time.

In the bureaucracy, minor officials were generally more than ten times that state officials. According to the official quota, there were 7567 civil and military officials in the Eastern Han Dynasty, while there were 145419 minor officials. Minor officials were 19 times more than officials. In the Tang Dynasty, the total number of officials was 268 668, of which only 17 686 were officials, and the number of minor officials was about 20 times that of officials. If the number of officials at the beginning of the dynasty was about 10000 to 30000, and at the end of the dynasty, it expanded several times to about 50000 to 100000, then the number of minor officials would expand to more than one million, which is really amazing. “③

The law of dynasty change is not the theme of this book. These discussions mainly demonstrate that the hierarchy and monarchy of Confucianism are consistent with the experience of secular life, the most consistent with human nature, the most common sense of human relations, and the most reasonable secular theory. While freedom and equality are anti-secular life, anti-human nature, and anti-common sense of human relations, freedom and equality come from faith. They can exist only by relying on faith.

①Luo Guanzhong the 60th chapter of “the romance of the Three Kingdoms”, people’s Literature Publishing House

② Reference from network

③Jin Guantao “China’s super stable structure of feudal society”, Law Press, p 61-65