摘要： 关于民国建立的规范基础的讨论，形成了两种理论观点：革命建国论和契约建国论。契约建国论者的立论根据，是将《清帝逊位诏书》解读为一份转让主权的“宪法契约”，并以此作为现代中国建国的规范基础。但是，这一理论既未能澄清所谓“宪法契约”的宪法性质，也未能充分论证其契约形式。契约建国论以“天下为私”为前提，而中国古典的革命建国论以“天下为公”作为国家建立的规范基础。古典革命建国论主张“天命变革”和“天下为公”，强调国家建立的规范基础在于天命人心的公共选择。应当回归古典革命建国论的基本观念，以“天下为公”作为国家建立的规范基础。

关键词: 民国立国, 宪法契约, 革命建国论, 契约建国论, 《清帝逊位诏书》

Abstract: There emerge two theories of nation building about the legitimate foundation of the Republic of China: The Revolutionary Theory and the Contractual Theory. The argumentation of the Contractual Theory is based on the explanation of the Abdicant Rescript as a Constitutional Contract, the legitimate foundation for the nation building of modern China. However, the theory fails to clarify both the constitutional nature and the contractual form of the Constitutional Contract. It is because its notion is to take nation as a private property owned by the Emperor of Qing Dynasty. Howecer, according to the notion of Chinese Traditional Revolutionary Theory, the nation for the public is the legitimate foundation for the nation building since the early China. The notion of the Traditional Revolutionary Theory should still be the legitimate foundation for the nation  building of modern China.

Key words: Founding of Republic of China, Constitutional Contract, Revolutionalism of Nation-Building, Contractarianism of Nation-Building, Abdicant Rescript