A Paradigm Shift of Political Theory : Toward a New Theoretical Construction in the 21st Century

这个共同的研究项目由12位政治理论家进行，他们现在在日本各地的一些大学教授政治思想史和政治理论史。我们共同探讨的主题是：“政治理论的范式转换：走向21世纪的新理论建构”。面对当今围绕政治的许多新现象和事件，我们试图提出新的规范价值观和观点，以便更好地分析和理解这些“异常”。我们分享了我们的激情和坚持不懈的研究关注，以政治思想史和政治理论史的角度来理解当今世界及其政治。在过去的四年里，我们举办了十四次研讨会，每个人轮流发表自己的研究论文。我们还邀请了著名的理论家和思想家参加这些研究会议和会议，如John gain博士、John Keane教授、More教授、Noriaki Ono教授和Osamu Nishitani教授。作为我们共同研究努力的成果，我们的一些成员已经出版了以下优秀的书籍。寺岛敏夫，《公民不服从》（东京：福社出版公司，2004）。菊池正雄，《现代社群主义与“第三条道路”》（东京：福社出版公司，2004）。山田龙作，《大众社会与民主》（东京：福冈社出版社，2004）。丸山正津，《环境政治理论》（东京：福山出版公司，2006）。从现在起，福厦出版公司将陆续出版同一系列的八本以上的书。从这个共同的研究项目中，我们获得了许多好的成果。最显著的成果之一是我们对今天政治的多层维度的共同认识和理解，正如我们可以在不同的维度中发现的那样，如地方区域、民族国家体系、东亚地区和全球体系。大约20年前，我们开始讨论主权民族国家范式的波动。当前，在地方、民族国家、地区、全球体系等多层次层面上，我们既可以看到相互结合的政治活力，也可以看到政治运行的严重冲突。我们需要从根本上重新审视和重新制定权力、自由、平等和民主等重要的政治概念，以便为当今不断变化和发展的政治活力提供启示。少

This common research project has been carried on by twelve political theorists who are now teaching History of Political Thought and Political Theory at a number of universities throughout Japan. The common theme with which we have tackled together was: "A Paradigm Shift of Political Theory: Toward a New Theoretical Construction in the 21" Century." Faced with a number of novel phenomena and events surrounding politics today, we have attempted to present new normative values and perspectives in which these "anomalies" can be better analyzed and understood. We have shared our passion and persistent research concerns to make sense of the present world and its politics in terms of the History of Political Thought and Political Theory. For the past four years we had fourteen seminars where each one of us in turn presented his research paper. We also have invited to these research meetings and conferences prominent theorists and thinkers such as Dr. Johan Gaining, Professor John Keane, Prof … More essor Noriaki Ono, and Professor Osamu Nishitani.As good fruits of our common research endeavors some of our members have already published the following excellent books. Toshio Terashima, Shiminteki fufukujyu [Civil Disobedience] (Tokyo: Fukosha Publishing Company, 2004). Masao Kikuchi, Gendai no communitarianism to 'dai san no michi' [The Modern Communitarianism and 'the Third Way'](Tokyo: Fukosha Publishing Company, 2004). Ryusaku Yamada, Taishushakai to democracy [Mass Society and Democracy](Tokyo: Fukosha Publishers, 2004). Masatsugu Maruyama, Kankyo seiji riron [Environmental Political Theory](Tokyo: Fukosha Publishing Company, 2006). From now on there will be published by Fukosha Publishing Company eight more books in the same series one after another.There are many good results that we have gained out of this common research project. One of the most conspicuous fruits was the shared recognition and understanding, which we had come to entertain, about the multi-layered dimensions of politics today, as we can find it in such different dimensions as local area, the system of the nation state, the region of East Asia, and the global system. We began to discuss the fluctuation of the sovereign nation state paradigm about two decades ago. At the present we can witness the dynamism of politics in the mutual combination as well as the serious conflicts of political operations that are observable at the multi-layered levels such as locality, the nation state, region, and the global system. We need to reexamine and reformulate radically such important concepts of politics as power, liberty, equality, and democracy in order to shed light to the ever-changing and developing dynamism of politics today. Less