明代中后期风化刑法的衰落

The Fading away of the Custom-enlightenment Criminal Law in the Mid and Late Phase of Ming Dynasty

明代中后期随着商品经济迅速发展,社会风气日益腐化,放纵声色之风败坏了社会风化,对旨在纯正社会风气的风化刑法形成剧烈冲击。这在同时期的世情文学作品中得到穷形尽相的描写,犯奸者法不追究、嫁娶违律蔚然成风、男风与寡妇改嫁已然成俗。但是法不责众、律外原情等因素致使规制男女性事、迎亲嫁娶、妇女守节的风化刑法对此束手无策,有些条文甚至成了具文,统治者利用刑法维护风化的目的落空,衰落之相可见一斑。

In the mid and late phase of Ming Dynasty, with the commodity economy development social custom was gradually falling in- to corruption, which dramatially impacted the custom - enlightenment criminal law. The rules like, ＂law is not responsible for the pub- lic＂ seriously restricted the implementation of the law. Some provisions even existed as mere formality.