关系合同与继续性合同——一个比较分析框架

Relational Contract and Contracts for the Performance of a Recurring Obligation: A Framework for Comparative Analysis

关系合同理论以一种社会关系的外在视角重新解析合同现象,主张合同行为存在于从个别性交易到关系性交易的系谱中,而纯粹的个别性合同是不存在的,所有的合同都植根于关系中。继续性合同则依给付性质的不同而与一时性合同相区别,其类型因社会经济发展而呈扩大之势。关系合同理论与有关继续性合同的理论不同,后者是在传统法律框架之内的一种合同分类,强调给付的特殊性与时间因素的重要性,要求适用特定的法律规则,前者则是有关合同本质的探讨。不过,二者体现出共同体主义这一相同的论理意识,而关系合同法的部分内在规范也与继续性合同在法律适用上的某些特殊之处吻合。此外,作为个别性—关系性系谱一端的关系性合同与继续性合同在类型上也有重合之处。

Relational contract theory provides an alternative way to analyze the phenomenon of contract from an outside perspective of social relations.According to relational contract theory,all the contractual behaviors exist in the discrete-relational transaction spectrum,all contracts are rooted in relations and there is no purely discrete contract.Contracts for the performance of a recurring obligation,the types of which currently have a tendency to expand owing to social and economic development,are distinguished from temporary contracts due to the difference of the performance of obligations in nature.Relational contract theory is different from the theory of contracts for the performance of a recurring obligation,for the latter,as a theory concerning the contract classification within the traditional legal framework,requiring the application of specific rules by emphasizing the special nature of obligation performance and importance of time factor,while the former is a theory concerning the exploration of the essence of contracts.The aforesaid theories,despite arising from different background,both originated from communitarianism.The internal norms of relational contracts partly coincide with certain specific rules of contracts for the performance of a recurring obligation on the application of law.In addition,relational contracts,as one end of the spectrum from discrete to relational,also have certain types of contracts in common with contracts for the performance of a recurring obligation.