法理论与后设伦理学的连结点:一个导读或导论

The Connection Between Legal Theory and Metaethics:A Guidance

法理学由两个问题组成,关注一般法之概念一般的“法律是什么”,以及关注一般法之价值一般的“法律应当是什么”。如果比照伦理学之规范伦理学与后设伦理学的基本结构,那么法律是什么就相当后设伦理学在法理学上的体现;而法律应当是什么则是规范伦理学在法理学上的体现。传统伦理学的看法认为,后设伦理学与规范伦理学虽然有联系,但它们还是两项性质不同的工作,所以无论是后设伦理学还是规范伦理学最多是两条交叉的直线,而根本就不会是同一条直线。带着这个看法回到法理论,就会得出法律是什么与法律应当是什么,同样是两项虽有联系但性质不同的工作。此外,在方法论层面,后设伦理学就是以“法理论之方法论”的意义存在,或者说,后设伦理学“可能”为法理学提供了可靠的方法论。

Jurisprudence consists of two questions:"what is the law",which focuses on the general problem of the concept of law and,"what the law ought to be",which focus on the general problem of the value of law.Like the distinction between the normative ethics and metathics,the problem of what is the law is a counterpart of metaethics in jurisprudence,the problem of what the law ought to be is a counterpart of normative ethics in jurisprudence.The traditional wisdom of ethics holds that metaethics and normative ethics are distinct in nature,though they are related.Metaethics and normative ethics are cross lines rather than the same line.In legal theory,what is the law and what the law ought to be are related but distinct in nature.By the way,as a methodology issue,metaethics should be regarded as a methodology of legal theory,or,metaethics"might"be a credible methodology of jurisprudence.