Legal Positivism and the Nature of Legal Obligation

Law and Philosophy -     

Legal Positivism and Legal Disagreements

This paper deals with the possibility of faultless disagreement in law. It does this by looking to other spheres in which faultless disagreement appears to be possible, mainly in matters of taste and ethics. Three possible accounts are explored: the realist account, the relativist account, and the expressivist account. The paper tries to show that in the case of legal disagreements, there is a place for an approach that can take into account our intuitions in the sense that legal disagreements are genuine and at times faultless.     

分离命题与法律实证主义

法律与道德的分离命题是法律实证主义的一项重要主张,它包含了弱的和强的两种分离命题。哈特主张的是弱分离命题,它主张在法律的合法性标准的外在方面法律与价值的必然分离。弱分离命题需要社会事实命题的支持,它没有资格作为法律实证主义的基础命题。而在合法性标准的内在方面,法律与道德存在必然联系。内在必要联系命题可以为法律的规范性提供合理说明,并为消除自然法与法律实证主义的对立和融合两者提供了新的理论前景。     

Some Remarks on the Notions of Legal Order and Legal System

Abstract
In this paper, the authors discuss some problems related to the existence and identity of legal norms and legal systems. Firstly, two criteria for identification of legal norms are analyzed: linguistic criteria and non-linguistic criteria. Secondly, the dynamics of legal systems and the distinction between legal system and legal order are examined (close to Raz's distinction between momentary legal system and legal system). Based on the logical relations of membership and inclusion, two ways of analysing the change of legal systems are suggested. Thirdly, a criterion for identification of legal orders (from Bulygin) is discussed and it is shown that this criterion does not explain adequately, on the one hand, the existence of some norms, i.e., customary norms; and, on the other, the existence of invalid norms; i.e., unconstitutional norms. The main conclusions of this paper are: (a) the concepts of legal system and legal order could not explain the existence of law in a given society; (b) the concepts of legal system and legal order could be considered models of rational normative systems.     

On Collective Actions. Some Remarks on the Theory of Legal Actions

In this paper the author deals with collegial judicial decisions as a form of human action. The scope is, however, limited to three questions: (1) What is the structure and the status of the general theory of action; (2) Is this theory applicable to such performative acts as judicial decisions; and finally, (3) Is it possible to speak about action in connection with collective agents such as collegial courts? The author defends the thesis that general theory of action as such is applicable to collective action, too, because the difficulty is not in the structure of that theory, or in its “individual character,” but specifically in the notion of “collective will.” This kind of “will” is epistemologically always a result of a political procedure, and speaking about the “collective will” presupposes the analysis of these procedures, because in practice they and only they formulate “collective motives,”“collective beliefs” and the like.     

劳动规章制度法律性质之“法律规范说”检讨

用人单位劳动规章制度是用人单位组织社会化劳动所必需的制度。2007年6月通过的我国《劳动合同法》的规定令人难以判断其对如何认定劳动规章制度法律性质所持的基本立场。我国劳动法学界倾向于将劳动规章制度归结为具有法律规范性质的行为规范,从而契合了"法律规范说"的见解,但是,"法律规范说"存在着逻辑矛盾,不符合我国劳动法制发展和劳动用工实践的现状,而从"契约说"的视角认识劳动规章制度性质应当是可行之道。     

对“哈啤”案的几点思考——兼论商品特有名称的法律性质及其保护

我国反不正当竞争法禁止擅自仿冒知名商品的特有名称不是所谓的“中国特色”、一时之需。相对于注册商标,商品特有名称是商品表征中相对易变的部分,也是商品外观的重要组成部分,其存在是符合商品流通规律的。对于商品特有名称的简称等非正式名称,在具备公示、持续使用和特有性的条件下也构成商品特有名称,从而受反不正当竞争法的保护。商品特有名称在本质上是未注册商标,对其应限定于为相关公众所共知的范围内适度保护,才能保证经营者有相当的行为自由和较低的信息搜集负担。     

Positivism and Plural Legal Systems

This paper considers whether the positivist account of law is useful in guiding states in how they should deal with religious or customary legal orders followed by minority groups within their jurisdiction. It argues, first, that such orders can be said to exist despite the prevalence of disagreement about the grounds of law. It then argues, contrary to views advanced by Scott Shapiro and Joseph Raz, that there are good reasons for perceiving that the resolution of legal disputes by reference to moral principle involves the application of pre‐existing law. However, the paper concludes by arguing that the Social Thesis has an important role in supplying the basis upon which the application of law can be deemed to be legitimate, and that this has relevance to the way states might respond to minority legal orders.     

Legal Positivism and Deontic Detachment

I consider a puzzle that arises when the logical principle known as “deontic detachment” is applied to the law. It is not possible to accept the principle of deontic detachment in a legal setting while also accepting that the so‐called “social facts thesis” applies to all legal propositions. According to the social facts thesis, the existence and content of law is determined by the attitudes or practices of legal officials. Abandoning deontic detachment is not an appropriate solution to the problem—the puzzle can be recreated with other plausible closure principles. The problem can be solved by restricting the social facts thesis to legal rules, rather than applying it to all legal propositions. Properly construed the social facts thesis does not apply to facts about what legally ought to be the case.     

法律事实的实证探究

法律事实及其与事实、客观事实、要件事实、裁判事实等概念之间的逻辑关系是法律事实研究的基本线索.法律事实是事实的一个种类,二者之间的种属关系是界定法律事实的基础.客观事实并不是法律事实在宏观上的对应范畴,只有在微观层面,相对于可能受主观因素影响的要件事实和裁判事实才有其意义.要件事实与裁判事实存在着质的区别,对法律事实的研究必须区分这两个概念才能够得到深入.     

法律实证主义的问题意识

法律实证主义作为西方法哲学史上与自然法学派相对立的思想流派.始终饱受误解和质疑.法律实证主义的"问题意识"是深入领会其良苦用心和精神实质的关键.自然法学派与法律实证主义的法律观都具有批判与保守、灵活与随意、确定与僵化的两面性.法律实证主义以"形式正义"取代"实质正义",以"合法性"诠释"正当性",是对自然法的绝对性、抽象性、不确定性等形而上学固有缺陷深刻认识的结果,反映了法律实证主义深刻的问题意识.因之,法律实证主义在实践上具有更稳健、妥切、现实的品格.法律实证主义以特殊的方式理解和处理了正当性观念,它与自然法学派的关系与其说是本体论上的对立,不如说是认识论和方法论上的发展、补充和超越,由此二者才能共同支撑和维护西方法治文明的大厦.     

Continuity and Change in Legal Positivism

Institutional theory of law (ITL) reflects both continuity and change of Kelsen's legal positivism. The main alteration results from the way ITL extends Hart's linguistic turn towards ordinary language philosophy (OLP). Hart holds – like Kelsen – that law cannot be reduced to brute fact nor morality, but because of its attempt to reconstruct social practices his theory is more inclusive. By introducing the notion of law as an extra-linguistic institution ITL takes a next step in legal positivism and accounts for the relationship between action and validity within the legal system. There are, however, some problems yet unresolved by ITL. One of them is its theory of meaning. An other is the way it accounts for change and development. Answers may be based on the pragmatic philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce, who emphasises the intrinsic relation between the meaning of speech acts and the process of habit formation.     

The Place of Legal Positivism in Contemporary Constitutional States

The aim of the paper is that of discussing some recent antipositivist theses, with specific reference to the arguments that focus on the alleged incapability of legal positivism to understand and explain the complex normative structure of constitutional states. One of the central tenets of legal positivism (in its guise of methodological or conceptual positivism) is the theory of the separation between law and morality. On the assumption that in contemporary legal systems, constitutional law represents a point of intersection between law and basic moral values, antipositivists contrast legal positivism with two main arguments. First, on a more general level, the positivist theory of the separation between law and morality is questioned; then, and consequently, the neutrality thesis in the juristic study of law is rejected. The author discusses both these antipositivist arguments, and offers a brief defence of methodological positivism.     

法律实证主义散论

法律实证主义是20世纪西方三大主要法学流派之一。同时，它还是一个难以精确界定的学术派剐，“法律命令说”不过是法律实证主义的伪标志。法律实证主义的意旨是：通过概念分析，从而使得法学成为一门自足的科学。法律实证主义思想在清末民初时传入我国，但并没有真正地扎下根来。法律实证主义对于当下中国的法学发展、法治建设以及司法实践有着重要的启示意义。     

Authority, Meaning and Inclusive Legal Positivism

Book reviewed in this article:
Jules Coleman, The Practice of Principle: In Defence of a Pragmatist Approach to Legal Theory     

海难救助的性质与法律适用

对于如何认识海难救助的性质,目前存在不同的学术观点,海难救助可根据不同标准划分为不同种类。强制救助的形式属于行政救助,具有强制性和公法的性质;契约救助和雇佣合同救助则具有合同的性质;纯救助则具有无因管理的性质。因此,笔者认为,应该根据不同类型海难救助种类来解决海难救助法律冲突,根据它们不同的性质确定所适用的准据法。目前,我国《海商法》和相关法律规范对海难救助的法律适用原则和规则并没有作出明确的规定．亟待填补这一法律空白。     

实证方法的引入与法学研究方法的转型

从形式上看,今日的中国法学确实呈现出繁荣的景象.各种版本的法学教材铺天盖地地充斥于坊间,几乎所有法学期刊都出现了稿件供过于求的局面,来自西方国家的法学著作被大规模地翻译过来.不仅如此,在"评定高级职称必要有个人专著"的学术政策影响下,几乎所有法学者都将出版专著视为自己学术事业达到高峰的标志.而无力撰写学术专著的人,也会以一两本法学随笔聊以充之.但是,法学者究竟为这个处于重大转型的社会提供了多少精神资源?那些以法律理论家自居的学者究竟在哪些方面做出了不同于西方学者的贡献?法学家们究竟提出了多少获得社会公认的理论或者命题?还可以更加苛刻地追问:对于司法制度和法律实践中所发生的变化和所存在的问题,我们真的给予了精确的把握和令人信服的解释了吗?