由情入法:明代宗祧继承纠纷的多元解决机制研究

From Emotions to Laws:A Study on the Diversified Resolution Mechanism to the Disputes over Ancestral Inheritance in Ming Dynasty

中国古代,注重通过维护家庭伦理而构建社会秩序。对于在亲属伦理关系中发挥重要作用的宗祧继承,明代统治者有效运用国家法律与家族规范共同进行规制与调整,并在“由情入法”过程中形成独特的多元解决机制。本文深入探讨明代宗祧继承纠纷的多元解决机制,揭示其在维护家庭伦理、促进社会和谐以及实现国家治理中的关键作用。研究表明,明代继承纠纷多元解决机制结合国家法律与家族规范,形成独特的“由情入法”路径,其在情与法的关系中,情的占比在不同的救济层次中呈现出一种“U”形状态。此机制包括最低层次的社会救济、中间层次的诉讼救济、最高层次的诉讼救济和道德引导三种路径,通过灵活处理纠纷,既坚持了国家法律的权威性,也体现了家族规范的灵活性。明代的这一多元机制,不仅有效化解家庭继承纠纷,也对当代我国构建中国特色的多元纠纷解决机制提供重要的历史借鉴。

In ancient China,maintaining family ethics was a fundamental approach to constructing social order.In the context of ancestral succession,which played a crucial role in kinship ethics,the rulers of the Ming Dynasty effectively utilized both national laws and family norms to regulate and adjust these matters.Through the process of“emotional integration into the law,”a unique multi-layered resolution mechanism was developed.This paper delves into the multi-layered resolution mechanism for ancestral succession disputes during the Ming Dynasty,revealing its critical role in maintaining family ethics,promoting social harmony,and achieving state governance.The study shows that by combining national laws with family norms,the Ming rulers established a distinct“emotional integration into the law”approach,where the balance between emotion and law in resolving ancestral succession disputes followed a U-shaped distribution across different relief levels.This mechanism includes three paths:the lowest level of social relief,the intermediate level of litigation relief,and the highest level of litigation relief along with moral guidance.By handling disputes flexibly,it upheld the authority of state law while reflecting the adaptability of family norms.The multi-layered mechanism of the Ming Dynasty not only effectively resolved family inheritance disputes but also provides significant historical insights for constructing a multi-layered dispute resolution mechanism with Chinese characteristics in contemporary times.