从“国际政治”到“国际关系”——审视世界强联结时代的国际关系本体论

以新现实主义为代表的主流国际关系理论建立在单一本体论基础上,在单元层次上趋于把构成国际体系基本单位的国家视为权力单位,在关系层次上把国际关系简化为一种权力关系,在体系层次上把国际体系视为一种更接近物理系统的简单系统。而在批评新现实主义基础上形成的各种国际关系理论流派也未能很好地解决国际关系本体论的单一性问题。作者在梳理学术界对国际关系本体论思考的基础上,探索性地提出一个逻辑上自洽的国际关系本体论基础,从而使国际关系研究跳出“政治学囚笼”,置于一个新的本体论基础之上。新本体论三个层次的特点是:在单元层次,构成国际关系的单元是考虑了文明体与组织体两个侧面的多元国家;在关系层次,国际关系是一种由人类多维活动构成的复杂网络;在体系层次,国际关系是人类在国际场域中多元社会共现的演化系统。世界强联结时代出现的一些新特点支持新的本体论思考:人类多维活动被深度卷入国际场域的现实支持从多元、多样的视角看待国际行为体;国家行为体强联结的现实支持把国际关系模式视为一种多维复杂的关系网络;国家间因深度互动而出现“共同体化”的趋势支持把国际体系视为“多元社会共现”的文明演化过程。

From International Politics to International Relations:Examining the Ontology of International Relations in the Era of Strong World Connection

The mainstream theories of international relations represented by the neorealism are based on a single ontology:at the unit level,the countries that constitute the basic unit of the international system tend to be regarded as power units;at the relationship level,international relations are reduced to a power relationship;and at the system level,the international system is regarded as a simpler system closer to a physical system.The various schools of international relations theories formed on the basis of the criticism of the neorealism have not solved this problem well.This paper explores a new ontological foundation of international relations that is logically self-consistent on the basis of reviewing the ontological thinking of international relations in the academic circle,thus helping the study of international relations jump out of the“prison of politics”and put on a new ontology.From the perspective of the unit level,the unit that constitutes international relations is a pluralistic country that considers two aspects of civilization and organization.From the standpoint of relationships,international relations are a complex network composed of multi-dimensional human activities.From the perspective of the system level,international relations are the evolution system of multi-social co-occurrence in the“international”circle.The new changes in the era of secure world connection support the new ontological thinking:the realistic support of multidimensional human activities being deeply involved in the“international”circle views international actors from multiple and diverse perspectives;the pragmatic support of the secure connection of state actors regards the model of international relations as a multi-dimensional and complex network.The trend of“community”due to deep interaction among countries supports the international system as a civilization evolution process of“co-occurrence of pluralistic societies.”