政府在不同历史时期的内涵、作用、性质都有所不同。在古代社会,它与普通民众一样,是(最高)统治者的工具;而在普通民众看来,它是目的,因为它事实上是最高统治者最真实的代表。而在现代社会,民众是目的,政府则是工具。政府这种从“人(神)”到“工具”的转变,需要市场经济、民主法治及市民社会三位一体的必要条件。当今中国的政府模式转型仍在进行,它需要一个系统环境。 The connotation, role and nature of the government in different historical periods are different. In ancient society it was, like ordinary people, the instrument of (the supreme) ruler; whereas to the general public it was the purpose, for it was in fact the most authentic representative of the supreme ruler. In modern society, the people are the ends, the government is the tool. The transformation of the government from “man ” to “tool ” requires the necessary conditions of a market economy, democracy, rule of law and civil society. The transformation of the government model in China today is still going on and it requires a system environment.