关于法律本质的认识论探讨(上)

A Discussion on the Theory of Cognition of Law's Essence

长久以来 ,关于“法律本质是什么”的争论一直没有停息。虽然近 2 0年来 ,有一、两种本质理论一直占据着法学界的“统治”地位 ,但这主要是由于意识形态和思维方式的原因所造成的 ,而并非有学理上的充足依据。本论文对几种重要的法律本质观进行了介绍、梳理和评论 ,作者并站在一个与先前考察这一问题的人们不同的立场上 ,追溯了西方哲学上人们对“本质”的探究历史 ,阐明了法律本质应有的内涵。作者又对法律本质的认识历史作了反向的考察 ,进而站在“法律本质”外部的立场上 ,得出结论 ;法律的本质由于人们认识的时代性和人类认识的无限性 ,因而是不能穷尽的。作者最后阐明 ,法律本质之有无以及若有则应是什么的问题不在“纯粹理性”的界限以内 。

For quite some time,the debate over “what is the essence of law'has been endless.Although for the last two decades,one or two theories on the subject have dominated the field of law,the occurrence of such a situation did not result from sufficient theoretical basis,but was mainly caused by the ideology and the way of reasoning.In this article,the author introduces,arranges and criticizes a few important theories on the essence of law.From a quite different perspective,he overviews the history of the philosophical discussion on the “essence'in the Western countries,and elucidates what connotation the essence of law should embody.The author also explores reversibly the history of the cognizance of the essence of law.He holds that the essence of law can never be taken a complete cognizance due to the limitations of the era of people's cognizance and the insinite lessness of man's cognizance itself.The author finally draws a conclusion that “whether there is such a thing as the essence of law,and if there is,what it should be“is beyond 'the abstract reason',but rather it is an issue in the domain of faith.