形式公正与实质公正——契约自由思想的历史变迁

Formal Justice and Substantive Justice——The Historical Evolution of Contractual Freedom

古罗马时代形式公正的契约自由思想 ,根源于古希腊哲学上的自然法思想和古罗马的成文法以及罗马法的实践性品格。虽然在罗马帝国的后期 ,出现了实质公正的契约自由思想 ,但未成为主流。在中世纪 ,法律只不过是君主的意志 ,司法绝对自由裁量权不断地破坏着契约自由。在资本主义发展时期 ,罗马法被视为“书面”的理性 ,形式公正的契约自由思想被注释法学家首先复活 ,衡平的思想却被忽略。进入 2 0世纪 ,随着法观念的社会本位化和自然法学的复兴 ,契约自由思想再次出现由形式公正向实质公正的转变。

Formal justice of contractual freedom in ancient Rome was rooted in the natural law of philosophy in ancient Greece, statutes in ancient Rome and the practical nature of the Roman law. The substantive justice in contractual freedom arose at the later stage of Roman Empire, but did not become the mainstream. In the Midd le Ages, law was merely the will of the monarch, and the absolute freedom of jud icial discretion continuously undermined contractual freedom. At the development al stage of capitalism, Roman law was regarded as 'written' rationality, and t he formal justice of contractual freedom was first revived by the glossarists, b ut equity was neglected. In the 20th century, with the socialization of legal id eology and the revival of natural law, contractual freedom shifted again from fo rmal justice to substantive justice.