宪法第一条：开宗明义

作者：程伟
责任编辑：胡丽莉 校对：熊辩 翻译：刘芳

引言：宪法的民治之魂 《公民宪法》以民治、民主、民权、民生、民族为核心，勾勒出一幅中国民主未来的宏伟蓝图。第一条作为宪法的开篇基石，明确了国家与公民的关系，奠定了民治的根本原则：“先有人类后有国家，是公民建立国家，国家是公民的国家，是公民治理国家，而不是国家统治公民，公民没有爱国的义务；国家政权的建立其基本原则是保护公民的生命权、自由权、财产权、反抗压迫权和选举与被选举权不受任何的非法侵犯，当国家政权无法保证这一基本原则时，公民有权有义务推翻这个政权，建立一个以保障公民生命权、自由权、财产权、反抗压迫权和选举与被选举权为基本原则的政权。”本文将深入解读这一条款，揭示其对中国民主未来的深远意义。

一、民治的核心：公民先于国家 第一条开宗明义，提出“先有人类后有国家”，颠覆了传统国家至上的观念，确立了公民在国家形成中的主体地位。这一理念源自以民治为核心的政治理论，强调国家是公民意志的产物，而非凌驾于公民之上的统治工具。公民不仅是国家的缔造者，更是国家治理的主体，“是公民治理国家，而不是国家统治公民”明确了权力的流向：国家权力源于公民授权，而非反向统治。这种设计彻底打破了威权体制的逻辑，将公民置于宪政体系的中心。更为前瞻性的提出，“公民没有爱国的义务”这一表述，挑战了传统爱国主义的强制性叙事。在《公民宪法》的语境中，爱国并非公民的义务，而是基于自由选择的情感表达。国家若不能服务于公民的福祉，便无权要求公民的忠诚。这一理念不仅赋予公民精神上的自由，也为反抗不义政权提供了理论依据，体现了民治的彻底性。

二、国家政权的原则：保障五项基本权利 第一条进一步阐述，国家政权的建立以保护公民的生命权、自由权、财产权、反抗压迫权、选举与被选举权为基本原则。这五项权利构成了《公民宪法》的核心价值，涵盖了从生存到自由、从经济到政治的全面保障。 

生命权：作为最基本的人权，确保公民免受暴力与非法侵害，是国家存在的首要理由，所以，人权高于主权。 

自由权：包括言论、信仰、结社等自由，保障公民在思想与行动上的自主性，思想自由是人类的第一自由权，是不可剥夺也不能被剥夺的自由权利。 

财产权：保护公民的经济成果，防止国家或他人非法侵占，促进社会公平与个人激励，私有财产不可侵犯。 

反抗压迫权：赋予公民对抗不公与暴政的合法性，是民治理念的直接体现，公民有权利有义务反抗压迫，使反抗压迫成为一种基本人权。 

选举与被选举权：确保公民通过民主机制参与国家治理，体现民主乃民治的制度化实现，选举与被选举权作为基本人权之一，是民治理念的具体体现。

这些权利的设定不仅是对个人尊严的维护，也是对国家权力的约束。国家若无法履行保护公民这些权利的职责，便失去了合法性。这一原则为公民治理提供了明确的衡量标准，也为公民监督国家公权机构行使公权力提供了法律依据。

三、公民的权利与义务：推翻与重建 宪法第一条赋予了公民的革命权利：“当国家政权无法保障五项基本原则时，公民有权、有义务推翻这个政权，建立一个以保障公民生命权、自由权、财产权、反抗压迫权和选举与被选举权为基本原则的政权。”这不仅是一项权利，更是一项义务，体现了《公民宪法》对公民能动性的高度信任。公民不再是被动服从的臣民，而是国家命运的主动塑造者。这种设计既是对历史中暴政教训的回应，也是对未来民主韧性的保障。通过这一条款，将民治的理念推向极致：当国家背离其服务公民的初衷，公民有权通过合法或革命手段重建宪政秩序。这种权利与义务的结合，既激励公民参与公共事务，也为民主制度的自我纠错提供了机制。

四、对中国民主未来的启示 第一条以民治为核心，重新定义了国家与公民的关系，为中国民主的未来提供了明确的方向。这不仅回应了西方民主的局限，如过度依赖代议制而忽略公民直接参与，也避免了传统集权体制对个人自由的压制。通过将公民置于国家之上，《公民宪法》的第一条为中国民主提供了“第三条道路”。在人工智能、数据监控等新技术的兴起对公民权利构成了新挑战的当下，《公民宪法》通过保护反抗压迫权和选举与被选举权，为应对这些挑战提供了制度保障。同时，“公民没有爱国的义务”打破了民族主义的桎梏，使中国民主能够在开放与包容中迎接全球化的机遇。

结语：民治的星辰大海 《公民宪法》第一条，以其对民治的深刻诠释，点燃了中国民主未来的希望之光。通过“先有人类后有国家”的宣言，赋予公民无上的主体地位；通过五项基本权利的保障，构筑了民治的坚实基石；通过推翻与重建的权利与义务，激发了公民的能动性。这一条款不仅是一部宪法的开篇，更是通向自由、公平、繁荣的中国民主之路的起点。

点击查看《公民宪法》原文

——《公民宪法》撰写人程伟/何清风，一身正气、两袖清风。

An Interpretation of the “Civic Constitution”: On the Future of Chinese Democracy – Part II

Article One: The Foundational Principle
Author: Cheng Wei Executive Editor: Hu Lili Proofreader: Xiong Bian Translator: Liu Fang

Abstract: Article One of the Civic Constitution establishes a fundamental principle: humanity precedes the state, and it is the citizens who create the state—not the state that governs citizens. By defining the chronological and logical order between citizens and the state, it derives the doctrine that citizens stand above the state. Article One further articulates five basic principles of citizenship and affirms that when a regime fails to protect these principles, citizens not only have the right but also the obligation to overthrow it.

Introduction: The Democratic Soul of the ConstitutionAnchored in popular governance, democracy, civil rights, livelihood, and national identity, the Civic Constitution sketches a grand blueprint for the future of Chinese democracy. Article One, serving as the foundation of the document, clarifies the relationship between the state and its citizens and establishes the core principle of democratic rule by the people: “Humanity came before the state; it is citizens who establish the state. The state belongs to the citizens, and it is the citizens who govern the state, not the state that rules over citizens. Citizens have no obligation to love the state; the fundamental purpose of establishing state power is to protect citizens’ rights to life, liberty, property, resistance against oppression, and suffrage—including the right to be elected—against any unlawful infringement. When the state fails to uphold these principles, citizens have the right and the duty to overthrow that regime and to establish one that protects these fundamental rights.” This article examines Article One in depth and reveals its profound implications for China’s democratic future.

I. The Core of Popular Governance: Citizens Precede the StateArticle One begins with the declaration “Humanity came before the state,” overturning traditional notions of state supremacy and establishing citizens as the primary actors in political formation. Rooted in theories of rule by the people, this principle underscores that the state is the product of citizens’ collective will, not a tool of domination imposed upon them. Citizens are not merely subjects—they are founders and governors of the state. The assertion that “citizens govern the state, not the state the citizens” clarifies that political authority flows from citizens to the government. This dismantles authoritarian logic and places citizens at the center of constitutional order. The forward-looking statement “citizens have no obligation to love the state” challenges coercive nationalism. Under this constitutional vision, patriotism is voluntary. A state that fails to serve its citizens cannot demand their loyalty. This grants citizens spiritual freedom and offers a theoretical basis for resisting unjust power, embodying the completeness of popular governance.

II. The Principles of State Authority: Safeguarding Five Fundamental RightsArticle One further declares that the establishment of state power must rest on the protection of five essential rights: the right to life, liberty, property, resistance against oppression, and the right to vote and to be elected. These rights form the core moral structure of the Civic Constitution, spanning survival, freedom, economic security, and political participation. The right to life is the most basic human right and the primary justification for the state’s existence; thus, human rights supersede sovereignty. Liberty includes freedom of speech, belief, and association, protecting the autonomy of thought and action; freedom of thought is humanity’s first and inalienable freedom. Property rights protect citizens’ economic achievements and prevent unlawful seizure, ensuring fairness and incentive. The right to resist oppression grants citizens legitimacy to oppose injustice and tyranny, transforming resistance into a fundamental human right. The right to vote and be elected ensures democratic participation and institutionalizes the principle of rule by the people. These rights safeguard individual dignity while constraining state authority. A regime that fails to protect them loses legitimacy, providing clear standards for public governance and a legal basis for citizens to supervise the state.

III. Citizens’ Rights and Duties: Overthrowing and RebuildingArticle One grants citizens a revolutionary mandate: when a regime fails to safeguard the five fundamental principles, citizens have not only the right but also the obligation to overthrow it and establish one that protects these rights. This is more than a right—it is a civic duty, reflecting profound trust in citizen agency. Citizens cease to be passive subjects and become active authors of political destiny. This design responds to historical lessons of tyranny and ensures the long-term resilience of democracy. When the state abandons its purpose of serving its citizens, citizens are empowered to restore constitutional order through lawful or revolutionary means. By linking rights with obligations, Article One stimulates civic participation and provides democracy with a built-in corrective mechanism.

IV. Implications for the Future of Chinese DemocracyCentered on popular governance, Article One redefines the relationship between citizens and the state and charts a clear course for China’s democratic development. It addresses limitations of Western democracies—such as overreliance on representative systems—while avoiding the suppressive tendencies of authoritarian governance. By placing citizens above the state, Article One offers a “third pathway” for China’s democratic future. In an era when artificial intelligence and data surveillance pose new threats to civil liberties, the constitutional protection of the right to resist oppression and the right to vote provides institutional safeguards against future abuses. Meanwhile, the declaration that “citizens have no obligation to love the state” breaks free from enforced nationalism, enabling a democratic China to embrace openness and global opportunity.

Conclusion: Toward a Democratic HorizonThrough its profound articulation of popular governance, Article One of the Civic Constitution illuminates a path of hope for China’s political future. By asserting that humanity precedes the state, it grants citizens supreme political primacy; by establishing five essential rights, it lays a foundation of democratic order; by granting citizens the right and duty to overthrow unjust regimes, it empowers democratic self-renewal. Article One is not merely the opening clause of a constitution—it is the starting point of a journey toward freedom, justice, and prosperity.

Click to view the full text of the Civic Constitution.— Written by Cheng Wei and He Qingfeng, paragons of integrity and moral clarity.