法必本于人:魏源法理学的核心命题

Law must be based on people:The core proposition of Wei Yuan's jurisprudence

魏源是鸦片战争时期极具代表性的思想家,他的学术思想体系包含了一种近代性的法理学。魏源法理学的核心命题是“法必本于人”,这个法理命题可以从两个环节来把握:其一,立法必本于人,即法的创立应当本于人,以保障制定出来的法既符合不同类型的人的实际需要,也符合不同时代的人的实际需要。其二,行法必本于人,即法的运行应当本于人,法的运行关键在于“得行法之人”,应当立足于“德才”与“简易”两种标准选取合格的行法之人,在遴选行法之人的过程中,既要发挥君的积极性,更要发挥民的能动性。这些关于法与人以及立法与人、行法与人的法理论述,彰显了魏源法理学的近代性。

Wei Yuan was a very representative thinker during the Opium War,and his academic thought system included a kind of modern jurisprudence.The core proposition of Wei Yuan's jurisprudence is that"law must be based on people",which can be grasped from two aspects.First,legislation must be based on people,so as to ensure that the laws not only meet the actual needs of different types of people,but also meet the actual needs of people in different times.Secondly,the operation of the law should be based on people.The key to the operation of the law is"the person who can run the law".We should select people who practice the law based on the two criteria of"virtue and talent"and"simplicity".In the process of selecting people who practice the law,we should not only play the role of the ruler,but also play the role of the people.These statements on law and human,legislation and human,and law enforcement and human,highlight the modernity of Wei Yuan's jurisprudence.