法律与社会:清末刑法改制的互动考察——以社会经济状况为分析单元

Law and Society: Probe into the Criminal Law Reform of the Late Qing Dynasty

法律影响着社会,但法律本质上又是回应社会的一种结果,其内容与作用受社会的制约。清末的刑法改制是在因列强的侵略而被迫进入近代以后的一种近乎"本能"的回应,如果说法律与近代社会的脱节是清末刑法改制基本原因的话,那么捍卫皇权则是法律变革的直接动因。法律改制导致大规模引进西方的法律理念与制度规则,《大清新刑律》是中国刑法近代化的标志,但它又可以说是简单移植西方法律的结果而与中国的"本土资源"相差甚远,这样的法律是另一种意义上的与社会的脱节。清末刑法改制中的法律与社会的互动考察对当前中国的法制现代化建设应当有其深刻的启示。

As a production of society, law affects it at the same time. The content and function is limited by society. The criminal law reform of late Qing Dynasty was an instinct response to the invasion from western countries. After reforming criminal law, western law concepts and rules had been introduced wholesale. The New Criminal Law of the Great Qing was a symbol of modern Chinese criminal law; in other words, it was also a production of simply transplanting western law that was out of line with society. Therefore construction of Chinese law modernization canget a profound revelation from it.