“市民社会”——西方法治产生的历史根源

Civil Society and The Historical Source of Western Rule by Law

西方法治作为一种强势文化,一直倍受关注,然而,究其原因,却意见纷呈,本文以为,西方法治产生的深层根源在于西欧中世纪国家和社会之间的独特社会架构——“市民社会”,具体表现为,城市管理为现代民主积累了丰富的管理经验;城市契约开创了民主宪章的先声;市民阶级的形成滋生了现代法制的主体;市民阶级的争权运动确立了现代法律的权威;市民阶级的交往和本性加速了法律形式化的形成。

There come much attention and various opinions on history source of western rule by law, as a prior culture. The paper says deep history source of western rule by law lies in the separation of country with society-- 'civil society'. The factors of civil society contribute to western rule by law by city's administer to experience in democracy, city's contract to constitution on democracy, citizen - class to subject of modern law, movement for civil right to authority of law, and intercourse in commerce and citizens's nature to law's formalization.