对欧美“法律东方主义”的反思与超越

Reflection on"Legal Orientalism"and Transcension of Europe and America

法律东方主义是欧美社会想象与误读中国法的结果,表现为欧美学者以西方法治标准来理解检验中国法。欧洲法律东方主义影响到美国,导致美国社会与学术界对中国法产生各种偏见与自负。1882年美国排华法案与民国时期美国驻沪法院"治外法权"的存在是美国法律东方主义的体现,是美国法制历史变迁中的阴影部分。美国学者络德睦对美国中国法研究中的传统思维定式进行了反思,指出美国法学学术界对中国法的认知存在很多偏见与自负。后殖民法学理论作为后现代法学理论的分支,依附与从属于美国的主流法学,美国学者反思法律东方主义是为了消除美国法律历史上的阴影,为主流法学的发展提供参鉴。中国法学面临的现实问题与美国有所不同,各自的司法背景也迥异,后殖民法学理论有其学术价值,但吸纳判例教义学体系的精髓才是学习美国法的优先选项。

Some western scholars have been gaining their perceptions and judging Chinese legal systems by the concept of legal orientalism as a result of imaginary and misleading reading in European or American societies.Legal orientalism was brought in America for the reason of inherited European thoughts and had bad influence on how to recognize Chinese legal system.Both Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 and extraterritoriality in Shanghai from 1905 to 1945 were on behalf of U.S.legal orientalism and somehow illustrated shadows in American legal history.Teemu Ruskola has reflected on traditional legal methods of recognizing Chinese Law and inferred that legal orientalism is still existing in real academic world of the West,which bring in much bias,prejudge and arrogance.The legal theory of post-colonialism is a subsidiary of U.S.general legal system as an embranchment of postmodern legal theory.American scholars try to remove the untold historical shadows by reflecting legal orientalism so that they can bring in some good reference to U.S.law system.Since the real problems and judicial backgrounds are so different between China and America,absorbing core spirit of case law system is a priority for China instead of admitting post-colonialism legal theory although it has good values for legal scholars.