Abstract
The contemporary Chinese ‘rule of law’ versus ‘rule of man’ debate constitutes an extremely important, if somewhat convoluted, political and historiographical discussion of the transition of Chinese legal culture from tradition to modernity. The reform advocates of ‘rule of law’ have compellingly argued for ‘modern legal culture’, as against the ‘rule of man’ and the manifestation of ‘feudalism’ in contemporary politics and society.
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Notes and References
Derk Bodde, ‘Feudalism in China’, in Ruston Coulborn (ed.) Feudalism in History (Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, 1965) p. 52.
Also see Ronald C. Keith, ‘Law and Society in Confucian Thought’, in Anthony Parel & R.C. Keith (eds.) Comparative Political Philosophy: Studies under the Upas Tree (New Delhi, Newbury Park, London: Sage, 1992) pp. 80–2.
Jerome Cohen, ‘The Criminal Process in the People’s Republic of China: An Introduction’, Harvard Law Review, vol. 79, no. 3, January 1966, p. 470.
For an example of such Chinese Weberian analysis see Sun Liping, ‘The Present Authority Crisis and its Cause’ in Jingjixue zhoubao, 12 March 1989, p. 5, FBIS-CHI-89–058, 28 March 1989, p. 32.
The issue is explored in Xunzi’s ‘Jundao’ (Way of the prince). See Zhang Guohua et al., (eds.) Zhongguo falu sixiang shi (History of Chinese legal thought) (Beijing: Falu chubanshe, 1982) p. 117.
Xunzi as quoted in Derk Bodde, Clarence Morris, Law in Imperial China (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1967) p. 22.
As quoted in Hyung Kim, Fundamental Legal Concepts of China and the West (Port Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat Press, 1981) p. 4.
Confucius, ‘Lunyu’ (Analects) in Sishu (The four books) (Macao: Juwendangshu, 1962, Book II) p. 146.
Confucius, ‘Daxue’ (Great Learning) in Sishu, Book I, p. 25.
Wang Liming, ‘Dui fajia “fazhi” shuo zhiyi’ (Questioning the legalist argu-ment for ‘rule of law’) Zhongguo fazue (Law Science in China), no. 4, 1991, pp. 116–19. Wang may have misinterpreted Liang. Liang rated Legalism highly for its pre-modern attempt to use law to set timeless, impersonal standards, but more importantly Liang could not abide Legalism, for, while it laid claim to equality before the law, it gave the ruler an unqualified legislative authority. See Liang Qichao, History of Chinese Political Thought during the Early Tsin Period (New York, AMS, 1969 reprint of 1930 edition) p. 132–5.
Herlee G. Creel, Chinese Thought from Confucius to Mao Tse-tung (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975) p. 153.
Tang Zhongmin, ‘Han Feizidi falu sixiang’ (Han Feizi’s legal thought) Xiandai faxue, no. 6, 1988, pp. 55–7.
For text see Burton Watson (trans.) Han Fei Tzu (New York: Columbia University Press, 1964) p. 105.
Fung Yu-lan, trans. by Derk Bodde, A History of Chinese Philosophy, vol. 1 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983) p. 313.
These systematic distinctions are discussed by Liu Shuguang, ‘Lun rujia sixiang dui Zhongguo fengjian faludi yingxiang’ (The influence of Confucian thought on China’s feudal law) Zhengfa luntan, no. 2, 1986, pp. 61–6; and in Zhang Jinfan et al., Zhongguo fazhi shi, (History of the Chinese legal system) (Beijing: Qunzhong chubanshe, 1989) pp. 210–11.
William C. Jones, ‘Studying the Ch’ing Code — The Ta-Ch’ing Lu li’, The American Journal of Comparative Law, vol. 22, 1974, p. 356.
Liu Zuoxiang, ‘Shilun falu wenhuadi cengci jiegou’ (Preliminary comment on the structural layers of legal culture) Xibei zhengfa xueyuan xuebao (Journal of the Northwest Institute of Politics and Law) no. l, 1988, pp. 12–16.
Shen Zongling, Bijiaofa zonglun (An outline of comparative law) (Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe, 1987) pp. 340–1.
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© 1994 Ronald C. Keith
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Keith, R.C. (1994). The Rule of Law within Comparative Legal Cultures. In: China’s Struggle for the Rule of Law. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-13110-5_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-13110-5_2
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