A hypothetical neurological association between dehumanization and human rights abuses

Dehumanization is anecdotally and historically associated with reduced empathy for the pain of dehumanized individuals and groups and with psychological and legal denial of their human rights and extreme violence against them. We hypothesize that ‘empathy’ for the pain and suffering of dehumanized social groups is automatically reduced because, as the research we review suggests, an individual''s neural mechanisms of pain empathy best respond to (or produce empathy for) the pain of people whom the individual automatically or implicitly associates with her or his own species. This theory has implications for the philosophical conception of ‘human’ and of ‘legal personhood’ in human rights jurisprudence. It further has implications for First Amendment free speech jurisprudence, including the doctrine of ‘corporate personhood’ and consideration of the potential harm caused by dehumanizing hate speech. We suggest that the new, social neuroscience of empathy provides evidence that both the vagaries of the legal definition or legal fiction of ‘personhood’ and hate speech that explicitly and implicitly dehumanizes may (in their respective capacities to artificially humanize or dehumanize) manipulate the neural mechanisms of pain empathy in ways that could pose more of a true threat to human rights and rights-based democracy than previously appreciated.     

The flip side of ISP’s liability regimes: The ambiguous protection of fundamental rights and liberties in private digital spaces

Since the inception of the Internet, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been used to segment cyberspace and make it possible for national states to apply their local laws to conduct having effects within their borders. This is true in particular in the realm of intellectual property. When one looks at the national regulatory regimes supposedly framing the behavior of ISPs, there appear to be more similarities than differences at a first glance. Does this mean that the national or regional legal frameworks regulating the behavior of ISPs, which are increasingly considered to be the sword of public authorities, should be identical in all legal systems? Is it not true that the content of these national or regional legal frameworks regulating the behavior of ISPs should partly depend upon the local trade-offs among conflicting fundamental rights and liberties? Indeed, private power can jeopardize the exercise and the very core of individuals’ prerogatives as much as public power and priorities vary from one legal system to another. This paper therefore seeks to highlight the dependence of national regulatory modes framing the conduct of ISPs upon the strength of certain fundamental rights and liberties. More precisely, while the first part aims to explore the influence of certain fundamental rights and liberties upon the regulatory modes set up by national legislators, and in particular free speech, from the perspective of the user-to-user relationship, the second part of this article is devoted to the protection of these fundamental rights and liberties from the perspective of the intermediary-to-user relationship. It shows that at least within two legal systems the dependence described initially is in reality altered by the prevalence of the intermediary’s interests, even if the latter are in part affected by a recent trend towards more state interventionism. As a result, national solutions appear to be less innovative than foreseen.     

论媒体与司法的内在规则与外在效果

司法活动和媒体表达是人类社会生活的两个面相。司法权可以裁处媒体的行为,媒体的刑事责任源于言论自由与国家安全的冲突,民事责任源于言论自由与公民私权的矛盾。媒体可以监督司法权,媒体与司法的冲突表现为言论自由与独立公正审判的矛盾。媒体与司法有统一的一面,也有冲突的一面,两者的合理要么维持原有社会秩序,要么推动着社会的发展。     

Behind a veil of secrecy: animal abuse,factory farms,and Ag-Gag legislation

Abstract

For years, animal rights organizations have sought to expose animal cruelty on America’s factory farms. With the meat and dairy industry inaccessible to the public, animal advocates rely on undercover investigators who gain access to farms by becoming employees. Working from the inside, these investigators become whistleblowers when they reveal animal cruelty unrelated to the already inhumane conditions of animal husbandry. An effective strategy that has exposed animal abuse as well as conditions threatening to public health, in recent years the agriculture industry has pressured legislatures to enact laws that criminalize photography at factory farms. Dubbed ‘Ag-Gag’ laws by critics, the emergence of legislation targeting animal rights advocates raises important questions relevant to animal welfare, animal rights activism, and freedom of speech. This paper exposes the failure of government institutions to protect animals on factory farms while simultaneously silencing what is currently the only available mechanism for Americans to learn about abuse on factory farms. It also explores the Constitutional implications of Ag-Gag laws. Not only are Ag-Gag laws presumptively unconstitutional, but with their enactment – animal welfare remains unchanged, the American consumer remains uninformed, and America’s factory farms are free to abuse animals behind a legal veil of secrecy.     

一种双重面向的权利——论福利权的法律性质

尽管,福利权为美国学者所采取的主要用语,但在其他不采用该用语的国家,福利权的类似争论也在进行.其中,主要涉及到福利权是消极权利还是积极权利、福利权是道德权利抑或法律权利以及其是否需要宪法规定.而事实上,福利权可能更是一种带有混合性质的权利,在不同的面向上需要不同的保障方式.     

论宪法社会基本权的分类与构成

社会基本权是宪法基本权利体系中的重要组成部分 ,区别于自由权。到目前为止 ,它还是一个比较笼统的概念和指称。依据文献研究方法 ,兼采理论与司法实务见解 ,社会基本权应进一步区分为 :经济权利、狭义的社会权利和文化权利 ,且不同类型的权利在各国得到承认和普遍化的程度不相一致。与自由权相比 ,各种社会基本权还只停留在指导原则和宪法委托阶段 ,其司法救济程度还比较低 ,主要依赖立法裁量和行政措施     

刍议股权

股权问题是现代企业制度的核心问题,它对于理顺股东与公司之间的产权关系,无论在理论还是实际的运作当中都意义深远。随着国有企业改革事业的进展,我国公司立法及公司制度的兴起,关于如何界定国家与企业产权关系、股东权的法律保护等问题引起了广泛而长久的争论,而要正确解决这些问题的关键在于要弄清股权的性质,理清股权的法律属性。股权的法律属性表明它是一种与人身相关联、具有独立的权能形式、有其自身特征、内容和法律关系的完整而独立的权利形态,是一种新型的财产性民事权利。     

以人权为核心度量发展的四个维度

人权是发展的根本目的,也是发展的手段。缺失人权精神的滋养,发展就会丧失方向,失去灵魂。发展是一个扩展人权的全面过程,包括政治、经济、社会和文化发展四个维度,要知悉发展的"质量"如何,就必须以人权为基点进行度量。以政治权、经济权、社会权和文化权四项基本人权来度量发展的四个维度,是一个"四位一体"的复杂的相互关联体系,是一个全新的、相当重要却长期被人忽视的评价标准模型。     

社会权的概念

当前国际和国内法律以及学界关于社会权的称谓、概念有九种之多.这种混乱现象造成社会权学术交流困难和社会权实现受阻,也是社会权一直不能获得与自由权同等法律地位的重要原因.社会权应为公民依法享有的要求国家对其物质和文化生活积极促成及提供相应服务的权利.这一概念具有明确的内涵和外延,与自由权既有紧密联系又有严格区别.     

纳税人权利话语之法理形构

有关纳税人权利话语的实践性议论和法律议论唤起了法学方法论的觉醒,但关于纳税人的权益如何构成一项公法上主观权利或宪法权利的争辩并没有被认真对待。如果直接从公民基本权利的性质切入,再加以层级化的结果,可以将之分为:自然权、宪法基本权利和一般法律权利三个层次,税法上的纳税人权利的主观公权利性质似乎没有疑问,但是宪法层次的纳税人权利面临着法律实践和理论的困难,在宪法解释学意义上所谓“纳税人基本权利”也许可以解释为宪法基本权利和纳税义务之间的平衡。     

社会权与自由权区别主流理论之批判

积极权利与消极权利之间存在明确而具体的区别,但它不同于社会权与自由权之间的区别。主流人权理论所谓社会权与自由权之间的“义务区别”、“冲突区别”和“效力区别”都是虚构的、错误的。每一项权利都与积极义务和消极义务相联系;相应地,与社会权一样,自由权之间也存在相互冲突;社会权对国家不仅产生政治和道德约束力,也产生与自由权同样的法律约束力,并在一定范围和程度内产生可由司法裁决的法律效力。     

权利冲突之辨析

权利冲突问题是法理学领域的一个重要课题。从权利的形式来源的分类法出发,可以把权利冲突细化为法定权利与法定权利之间的冲突、道德权利与道德权利之间的冲突、法定权利与道德权利之间的冲突三种形式。     

论环境权的人权属性

对于环境权的属性问题一直是法学界争论的一个焦点 ,可谓众说纷纭 ,莫衷一是。从权利本原的角度入手 ,阐述目前我国研究权利特别是环境权的范式存在的误区 ,提出应从唯物主义的立场揭示环境权的自然权利属性。同时 ,对人权的历史发展中概念、性质、主体和内容的变化进行剖析 ,推断出环境权符合人权的构成要件 ,在精神实质与价值内涵上与人权存在固有的联系 ,是一项人类社会生存与发展不可或缺的基本人权。     

私权的层次划分与体系建构

私权的核心与实质是正当利益,利益对主体的重要性与关系紧密性决定了私权的层次性。基础性权利(元权利)、辅助性权利、救济性权利是私权的层次性体现,三者及其内含的各种具体权利成为私法的核心内容并符合逻辑地构成层次分明的私权体系。私权的层次划分与体系建构为研习私权提供了清晰的概念内涵以及新的思考方式。     

权利思维的另一面

严格说来,全球范围(中国尤甚)内的对权利的学术理论研究对于权利的现实性或者权利的社会实用性相对较为忽视。两位美国学者史蒂芬·霍姆斯和卡什·R·孙斯坦撰写的《权利的成本》一书则是力图改变上述缺憾的一部力作。书中体现出来的现实主义的权利思维路径对我们关于权利的理论思考和实践构设与操作具有启发和借鉴意义。     

声调特征在言语识别技术中的价值

在我国经济与社会快速发展以及同违法犯罪作斗争的新形势下,言语识别技术在侦查以至整个诉讼过程中的作用越来越突出。对汉语语音的声调特征作简要介绍,探讨和阐述了其在言语识别技术中的重要价值：一是汉语方言中调类和调值特征具有突出的差异性,二是通过方言区推广普通话以及外族人和外国人的汉语习得,反映出汉语声调特征具有极强的稳固性。     

我的学术之路与中国社会科学的发展——在受聘西南政法大学名誉教授晚会上的致辞

2004年3月22日,西南政法大学聘任邓正来先生为其名誉教授。受聘仪式上,邓正来先生作了题为《我的学术之路与中国社会科学的发展》的精彩演讲。邓正来先生的即兴演讲已经不能仅仅被理解为一般的致辞,相信每位从事社会科学研究的学者对其学术意义都会形成共识。该演讲实际是按“西南法学论坛”的形式进行,所以“坛规”设置了佳宾点评。需要说明的是,龙宗智校长和付子堂副校长代表学校所作的颁发聘书讲话实际上是在邓正来先生的演讲之前,但为了方便起见,均置于讲演之后。但龙宗智校长的另一部分点评又是在邓正来先生的演讲之后所作的,所以分为两段。     

冲突与选择:多数者权利和少数者权利

权利冲突问题一直以来都是法学研究的一个热点,同时也是一个难点,而多数人权利与少数人权利的冲突问题,则可以说是难点中的难点。因为处理不好,它有可能导致民主制度的颠覆或多数人的暴政等问题;另一方面,我们的法治实践中确实又已经出现了相关问题。该如何面对?思考的结果,应坚持冲突的必然性原则,并优先保护高位阶的权利,这也是我们的法治实践所可能采取的一种解决方案。     

Protection of Property Rights by both International Human Rights Law ＆ Contracting States＇ Domestic Law and Its Enlightenment to China

通过对联合国框架下的人权条约、各区域人权条约以及主要缔约国在外国人财产权保障方面的规定和做法进行研究,可知联合国人权条约对一般意义上个人（包括外国人）财产权的保护程度明显偏弱,各区域人权公约对财产权的保护则各有侧重,各缔约国对外国人的财产普遍有一定限制。其中有不少是我国在外国人财产权方面制定和适用法律、规则可借鉴的做法。     

国际人权条约的形式分析

国际人权条约是国际人权法最重要的渊源。本文从形式角度研究了国际人权条约 ,介绍了国际人权条约的名称 ,区分了国际人权条约的类别 ,总结了国际人权条约的形式特点 ,并分析了国际人权条约的结构。