年金自動調整機制之理論意涵：德國與瑞典年金保險體系體現當代社會契約之精神

The Theoretical Implications of Automatic Adjustment Mechanism: The Elements of German and Swedish Pension Schemes Reflect the Contemporary Ideas of Social Contract

社會契約之核心概念，在於正義的原則應基於維持平等的角度訂定，且須以法律文字明訂其機制並適時調整，為當代社會發展強制性社會安全制度以分配與重分配資源，藉由互助性質之制度提升弱勢者經濟安全的手段之一。雖然強制性的社會安全制度限縮社會人民的自由，但因最終可提升弱勢者乃至於全體社會成員的互助與福祉，且不斷依循當代社會之需求修正，從而具備正當性。本文以探討社會契約之本質與原則出發，並觀察此等論述之發展脈絡，及其對當代年金保險制度的意涵。接著，以德國與瑞典兩國自動調整機制之政策實踐，對應當代之政策意涵。其結果發現，依據社會連帶精神提供經濟安全保障與達到制度永續性，仍為當代社會契約論述之內涵，且在德國與瑞典相關改革之後所建立的年金體系自動調整機制，皆有相對之考量。在一定程度上，或可將年金自動調整機制視為當代社會契約精神之展現。最後，則依據當代社會契約之意涵，以及現有的政策實證經驗，提出我國後續年金改革得思考的方向。

It is debated that, on the one hand, social insurance programmes, and specifically pension insurance that is focused on in this paper, are the schemes to represent the theory of social contract and social solidarity, for the reason that they intend to achieve equality and income security as well as to improve the effectiveness of redistributing resources. On the other hand, however, it is also argued that this sort of programme jeopardises the freedom of choice. Nevertheless, it is recognised by most of the governments in the world that social insurance schemes in effect develop along with the society in order to meet people’s need and compensate those who suffer from risks covered by the social security programmes. This paper, for one thing, further looks into the arguments from the philosophic, legal and economic viewpoints in order to elaborate the links between the theory and social insurance per se. For another thing, this paper takes the pension reforms in Germany and Sweden as examples to discuss whether the pension automatic adjustment mechanism is the contemporary form of social contract. It illustrates that the automatic adjustment schemes, to a great extent, fulfil the ideas of social contract theorem, and therefore would be an appropriate strategy for modifying benefit levels and other parameters related to pension insurance programmes. Some propositions for further pension reforms are discussed and concluded in the last part.