本文藉助當代反普遍主義邏輯之基本精神，分析、質疑時下以反 西化之名反自由民主的中國國族主義言說。後者把自由民主相對化、 本質化為根深蒂固的西方產物，彷彿自由民主與中國性不能兩立；至 於主張中國走自由民主道路的中國人，則儼然成了受到西方污染、中 國性不足的次中國人。本文把此類言說界定為一種政治化的族群/文 化本質主義，並對其（內在）普適性宣稱、真理宣稱進行商榷。本文 分析指出：其關於西方與中國的本質性、同質性、（內在）普適性宣 稱，如「自由民主是根深蒂固的西方產物」、「自由民主與中國性不能 兩立」、「威權主義體現中國文化」等，實難以成立。而建立於此的國 族浪漫主義、歷史主義言說’及其「存在即合理」、「當下即我們」、 「當下即公意」等維護、鞏固現存黨國體制的真理宣稱，自然也稱不 上真理。當其把現代威權主義看作「中體」屹立不搖的明證，並把中 國體內的自由民主元素打成西方污染時，其（內在）普適性宣稱實已 不攻自破，而其排他性、獨斷性、宰制性則昭然若揭。

This paper critically examines the thesis that liberal democracy is essentially Western and utterly incompatible with Chineseness. In recent years there has emerged in China a popular nationalist discourse which rejects liberal democracy as Western and therefore alien to Chineseness. Correspondingly, Chineseness has come to be defined as essentially antiliberal-democratic. This also involves the suggestion that the presently existing authoritarian “Chinese model” or “Chinese road” be intrinsic to Chinese culture. Liberal democracy as a political choice is, thus, being excluded a priori in the name of anti-Westernization and anti-universalism. This paper argues that at the heart of this particular anti-liberal-democratic discourse is a species of what might be called “politicized ethnic/cultural essentialism.” The trouble with it, however, is that its claims to (internal) universality could hardly be sustained. Drawing on the spirit of the poststructuralist logic of anti-universalism, the paper aims to deconstruct this ethnic/cultural essentialism and its truth claims about China and the West. As a form of power/knowledge, this overtly politicized ethnic/ cultural essentialism is revealed to be exclusive, dogmatic, and repressive.