论法在内容上的否定性品格——兼释法在人类文明中何以有效之问题

On Negativity Character of Law in Content——Also an Explanation of Reasons for Law's Validity in Human Civilization

法的特征是法哲学思考的一个重要问题。法的特征分为两种:形式上的特征和内容上的特征。一般法学理论注重对法的形式上的特征进行概括,而缺乏对法的内容上的特征进行系统性的论述。作为人类社会生活中独特的重要的人文产物——法律,在内容上是特定人文价值指向的体现和弘扬,具有特定的人道内涵而非兽道内涵,从内容上认识法的特征先在地必要和重要。与道德的"肯定性"相对应和对立的"否定性",正是法律在内容上的根本特征或者形象地说是法的品格。它包含两层含义:一是除法律所禁止以外的领域人皆具有自由;二是法律只是为了避免人对他人伤害的较小范围内才严格地限制人。法律与道德是人类社会生活中彼此独立而又关联的两种客观存在。其一,二者是对立的,不能互相替代的,不能踏入对方作用的领域,混淆二者的对立就会产生社会恶果。其二,二者在各自发挥自己独立品格的前提下而形成互补,道德以发挥自己的"肯定性"品格而使人间存有温暖,法律发挥自己的"否定性"品格而使社会的基本秩序得到维持与保证。总之,道德因为肯定性品格而走非强制性作用的路线才有效,法律因为否定性的品格而走强制性作用的路线才有效。

The character of law is an important question in the consideration by philosophy of law. The character of law consists of two aspects： that of the form and of the content. Generally law theories pay attention to the generalization of the form of the law, lacking systematic discussion about the character of its content. The law is a unique and important humanitarian product in human social life, whose content embodies and carries forward specific humanist value with specific human connotation as opposed to animal connotation. Therefore, it is necessary and important to eognize the content of law in preexistence. Corresponding to the moral ＂positivity＂, the ＂negativity＂ is basically the legal character in content, or visually the eharacter of law, which contains connotations in two levels ： the first is that people are free in the scope beyond the prohibition by law; the second is that the law sets restrictions strictly in a comparatively small range to prevent a man from harming others. The law and morality are the two independent but also relative objective existences： in the first place, they are opposite and cannot substitute each other, nor entering into the field of the other, to mix up the two will result in evil consequences in society; in the second place, on the premise of its independent character, the two form complementation, morality making the world warm by its character if positivity, the law maintaining the basic social order by its character of negativity. In conclusion, it will be valid for morality to go on the route of non-enforcement because of its positivity character, while it will ae valid for the law to take the route of enforcement because of its character of negativity.