國立臺灣大學政治科學論叢

Abstract / Chinese PDF Download

This essay interprets John S. Mill’s most important writing of democratic theory,Considerations  on  Representative  Government,  with  a  view  of  his  intention  andstrategy   in   writing.      I   argue   that   with   the   intention   of   acquire   empathicunderstanding and acceptance from the British mass Mill adapts a peculiar kind ofrhetoric  strategy.    Praising  first  the  ideal  of  democracy  to  greet  the  mass,  thenrevealing step by step their insufficiency in both intelligence and character, Mill triedto lead them to accept his elitist mode of democracy.Scholars who missed Mill’s intention and strategy of argument in this writingregarded him either as an enthusiastic partisan for democracy, an anti-democraticelitist, or a theorist who offered no solution to the contradiction between democracyand  elitism.    However,  Mill  is  not  an  enthusiastic  partisan  for  democracy,  fordemocracy, in his view, was no more an ideal, but an essential political reality thatshould be examined.    Nor is he an anti-democrat, for he respects the fact of popularsovereignty.    Finally,  Mill  did  offer  his  solution  to  the  contradiction  betweendemocracy and elitism.    In fact, Considerations on Representative Government as awhole should be considered as his daring enterprise persuading democratic British toaccept elitist government.