“退”的产权意义——再论浙南山区“退契”的性质

The Meaning of“Tui”in Property Rights:Rethinking“Tui Qi”(Deed Return)in Southern Zhejiang Province in Traditional Period

“退契”广泛使用于亲邻和非亲邻间的山产、田面或租佃、会股等交易,将其定义为田面权或“残缺产权”之转让是不准确的。回到山区开发的历史进程,“退”字包含了对山场原始产权共有的记忆和实践,交易对象之间属于同族或同会的社会关系只是其表征,在本质上它强调的是他们在族产或会产上(曾经)的共有关系。传统时期由契约构建的产权秩序中,产权和交易的正当性并不以所谓“完整产权”为前提,每一次交易都构成下一次交易的产权“来历”,也即它的合法性。“退”定义了这个流动的序列中一种回归的步骤和意义。

The tuiqi contract was widely used in transactions involving mountain properties,surface rights of land,leases,and joint ventures,whether between relatives or non-relatives.It is inaccurate to define it as the transfer of surface rights of land or“incomplete property rights.”Considering the historical process of mountain area development,the character tui encompassed the memory and practice of the original shared property rights in the mountain plots.The tuiqi contract represented the concept of having a share in the previous property rights.The social relationship between the trading parties being of the same clan or association was just an indication.Essentially,it emphasized their shared relationship in clan or association properties.Traditionally,the legitimacy of property rights and transactions was not based on the premise of so-called“complete property rights.”Each transaction constituted the“origin”of the subsequent transaction,that is,its legitimacy.“Tui”defines a step and significance of rights returning in this sequence of flow.