重思“从身份到契约”命题

梅因以印欧民族的史料尤其是罗马法资料为基础,提出了迄今为止所有进步社会的运动是一个从身份到契约的运动的命题。他未分析市民身份,这与其研究重点是家庭的解体有关。他未仔细分析这一运动的成因,因其注重的是对现象的描述,且这一运动在很大程度上是由他并不认同的自然法学说推动的。他未分析法、德的情形,但它们的历史也表明从身份到契约的命题是成立的。二十世纪之后出现的国家对合同内容进行干预等现象并未使梅因的观点丧失重要意义,而是在合同自由之外突出了合同正义。

Rethinking Maine''''s "from status to contract" thesis

Basing on the historical materials of Indo-European nations,especially Roman law materials,Maine advanced this thesis: the movement of the progressive societies has hitherto been a movement from status to contract.He didn't analyse status civitatis,because his focal point was the disintegrating of family.He didn't attentively analyse the causes of this movement,because he emphasized the depicting of phenomena.Additionally,this movement was influenced by natural law theory.He didn't analyse the history of French and Germany,but his thesis is right for the two countries.After 20th century,there are new phenomena such as country's interfering with contractual relationship.But these phenomena don't negate Maine's viewpoint.Besides the freedom of contract,they highlight contract justice.