政哲茶記 The Political Philosophy Cha Chaan Teng

近年移民成為咗政治學同政治哲學嘅重要議題，而呢個議題應該對好多香港人嚟講都係非常切身。今日會探討自八十年代開始嘅政治哲學討論：點解國家有權限制移民？呢個權力／權利係有咩基礎？移民，或者係自由穿梭國界，係咪應該係一項人權？Immigration is a huge topic in political science and political theory alike, and it bears great significance to Hongkongers worldwide. This episode looks at a classic but significant debate in political theory on the ethics of immigration. ,Why does the state have the power to exclude (would-be) immigrants? Where does this power/right stem from? Or indeed, is there a human right to immigrate or traverse international borders?參考書目 References：Carens, Joseph. The Ethics of Immigration. Oxford University Press, 2013.Miller, David. Strangers in Our Midst: The Political Philosophy of Immigration. Harvard University Press, 2016.Oberman, Kieran. “Immigration as a Human Right.” In Migration in Political Theory: The Ethics of Movement and Membership, edited by Sarah Fine and Lea Ypi. Oxford University Press, 2016.Wellman, Christopher Heath, and Phillip Cole. Debating the Ethics of Immigration: Is There a Right to Exclude? Oxford University Press, 2011.

今集終於講羅爾斯同佢1971年首次出版嘅大作《正義論》，講吓羅爾斯點解會被視為以一人之力重新振興英美政治哲學嘅巨擘，然後講吓《正義論》提出嘅核心內容，例如咩係「正義即公平」，同埋佢提出嘅「無知之幕」係做緊啲乜。點解思考正義要「忘記所有」？We are finally discussing the great John Rawls and his magnus opus, A Theory of Justice. We will talk about why Rawls was seen to be the influential figure who revived the study of Anglo-American political philosophy, as well as the core ideas in TJ, such as "justice as fairness" and "veil of ignorance". Why does Rawls we have to "forget everything" in order to think about justice?參考書目 References：Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Revised Edition, Belknap Press, 1999.

本身冇諗住講呢個話題，不過最近因為 Charlie Kirk 遇刺事件而再次激發政治上左右派嘅矛盾，所以今集決定簡單講吓政治上左右嘅分別，同埋嘗試分析吓點解左同右嘅分歧嘅核心喺邊度。The schism between the political Left and Right seems to be ever widening, especially after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This episode tries to explain the main viewpoints of the Left and the Right and analyse where their fundamental differences lie.參考書目 References：Levin, Yuval. The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Right and Left. Basic Books, 2014.

承接上集嘅討論，今集主要會藉由〈Lottocracy Versus Democracy〉呢篇文章入手，探討選舉究竟喺民主制度起乜嘢作用。作者 Rummens 同 Ginnens 指出，選舉有助促進討論、表達授權，以至令選舉「輸家」更有動機接受選舉結果。Continuing from last episode, this episode discusses the article "Lottocracy Versus Democracy" and explores the values and functions of elections in a democratic system. Authors Rummens and Ginnens argue that elections are better than sortition in encouraging political deliberation, expressing authorisation, and providing stronger motivation for "losers" to obey election results.參考書目 References：Schumpeter, Joseph. Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy. Harper & Brothers, 1942.Rummens, Stefan, and Raf Geenens. “Lottocracy Versus Democracy.” Res Publica 31, no. 2 (2025): 339-57.(Edits: sound effects)

民主似乎係現今政治體制嘅黃金標準，但係同時間好多人似乎不滿民主制度嘅運作情況。今日我哋會討論《Debating Democracy》一書，睇吓兩位政治理論家 Jason Brennan 同 Hélène Landemore 針砭民主嘅問題同討論點樣解決。雖然佢哋對民主嘅立場大相徑庭，但係佢哋似乎都同意我哋要擺脫「選舉式民主」，尋求更好嘅政治制度。Democracy seems to be the golden standard of government, but many people are increasingly frustrated with the functioning of democratic governments. What's wrong? Today we discuss the book Debating Democracy , where political theorists Jason Brennan and Hélène Landemore discuss proposals like testing voters on political knowledge or having assemblies made up of randomly sampled citizens. Ultimately, both seem to agree that we should move beyond electoral models of democracy.參考書目 References：Brennan, Jason and Hélène Landemore. Debating Democracy: Do We Need More or Less? Oxford University Press, 2022.Brennan, Jason. Against Democracy. Princeton University Press, 2016.Landemore, Hélène. Open Democracy: Reinventing Popular Rule for the Twenty-First Century. Princeton University Press, 2020.

私有產權係西方政治同法律哲學裏面嘅重要概念，但係政治哲學家對佢嘅睇法可以有天淵之別。洛克認為私有產權係上帝畀人類嘅重要權利，但係盧梭反而覺得發明私有產權嘅人係歷史罪人，點解會咁？今集會主要討論洛克、諾齊克同盧梭對私有產權同分配正義嘅睇法。Private property right is a core concept in Western political and legal philosophy. While Locke argues that property right is one of the most important rights given to us by God, Rousseau thinks whoever invented the concept is a sinner. Why is that? We will discuss private property right and distributive justice with regards to the works of Locke, Nozick, and Rousseau.

「人生而自由，但卻無往不在枷鎖之中。」法國哲學家盧梭喺佢嘅名著《社會契約論》嘅呢句說話成為咗政治哲學名句。佢嘅理論同霍布斯同洛克又有咩分別？點解佢似乎覺得「野蠻人」比現代人更高尚？點解佢覺得所有人都要放棄所有自由先得？"Man is born free; yet everywhere he is in chains." This quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau is one of the best known quotes in political theory. How does his social contract theory differ from Hobbes's and Locke's? Why does he think the "savage" seems morally superior to us? Why does he think everyone should give up all their liberties in the social contract?

自由係（西方）政治哲學嘅重要概念，咁但係政治哲學家究竟點樣理解自由？今集會簡單介紹三種對自由嘅理解，分別係消極自由（negative freedom）、積極自由（positive freedom），同埋德國哲學家霍耐特（Axel Honneth）近年提出嘅社會自由（social freedom）。Freedom is a core concept in (Western) political philosophy. How is freedom understood in political philosophy? This episode briefly introduces three different conceptions of freedom, namely negative freedom, positive freedom, and social freedom, an idea proposed more recently by German philosopher Axel Honneth.參考書目 References：Berlin, Isaiah. "Two Concepts of Liberty." In Four Essays of Liberty, Oxford University Press, 1969.Honneth, Axel. Freedom's Right: The Social Foundations of Democratic Life. Translated by Joseph Ganahl. Columbia University Press, 2014.

今集探討經典嘅政治哲學理論——社會契約論（social contract theory），嘗試解釋17世紀嘅兩位重要政治哲學家霍布斯（Hobbes）同洛克（Locke），係如何理解政治權威（political authority）係從何而來。社會契約論最核心嘅概念就係將人同政權嘅關係比喻作一紙合約，究竟呢個理論有咩吸引力，又有咩缺點？This episode introduces one of the most classic theories in modern political philosophy, namely the social contract theory. We will explore how two of the most important political philosophers, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, understands the source and moral justification of legitimate political authority. The core essence of the social contract theory is to conceptualise our relationship with the state as a binding contract. Why is this understanding appealing to so many, and what may be its shortcoming?參考書目 References：Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan.Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government.

承接上一集嘅總論，今集講一個政治哲學的方法論（methodology）問題：究竟政治哲學應唔應該「離地」？政治哲學應該點樣處理「政治現實」嘅問題？一個「冇可能」實現嘅理論，究竟又有冇價值？This episode explores a methodological question in political philosophy, namely: how "idealistic" or "realistic" should political theory be? My discussion will be focused on the works of Bernard Williams and David Estlund.參考書目 References：Estlund, David. Utopophobia: On the Limits (If Any) of Political Philosophy. Princeton University Press, 2020.Williams, Bernard. In the Beginning Was the Deed: Realism and Moralism in Political Argument. Princeton University Press, 2005.(Edits: Post-publication refinement.)

想開podcast講政治哲學好耐，而家終於踏出第一步，希望大家多多支持，亦都歡迎大家不吝賜正！第一集首先要講吓乜嘢係政治哲學，有啲咩主要議題，又點解要讀？Finally took a shot at starting a podcast channel in Cantonese about political theory! The debut episode is about what political theory is, what some of the major topics are, and why we should care about it at all.參考書目 References：List, Christian, and Laura Valentini. “The Methodology of Political Theory.” In The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Methodology, edited by Herman Cappelen, Tamar Szabó Gendler and John Hawthorne. Oxford University Press, 2016.(Edits: Post-publication refinement.)