《大憲章》成因考

Analysis on the Contributing Causes of Magna Carta

誕生於1215年的英國《大憲章》，八百多年來飽受讚譽和爭議。貶之者謂其“不過是人們心中一部古老的封建法律”，褒之者則譽其為西方憲政、民主、法治和人權的濫觴。從1215年的危機與《大憲章》的簽訂，以及催生《大憲章》的政治、宗教、財稅與司法等因素之角度分析，可知《大憲章》的誕生是中世紀英國各種偶然事件與必然社會發展之多種複雜因素交互作用的產物。對比同時期的中國、俄羅斯、法國，《大憲章》具有獨特的民族特色、時代特徵和社會基礎，具有不可複製性。《大憲章》的“神話”，部分在於其63條文本的解釋潛力，部分在於中世紀英國的特殊國情，其本質是國家治理中各種權力的制約與平衡。這是《大憲章》至近代資產階級革命時期大受歡迎的原因，也是其永恆的價值所在。

Magna Carta, since its birth in 1215, has induced exixaordinary enchantment as well as controversies. While laudators extol Magna Carta as the genesis of western constitution, democracy, rule of law and human rights, critics consider it a mere old feudal law. Analyzing the crisis of 1215 and the political, religious, financial and judicial factors which result in the signing of Magna Carta, this article demonstrates that Magna Carta is the outcome of interactions between various accidents and inevitable social developments in medieval England. Contrasting medieval England with medieval China, Russia and France, the article displays the unique national character, good timing, social roots and irreproducibility of Magna Carta. The myth of Magna Carta lies in the potential of its 63 clauses as well as in the unique national character of medieval England. The essence of Magna Carta embodies the checks and balances in state-governing, which is the reason that Magna Carta receives tremendous ovation in bourgeois revolution and the eternal value of Magna Carta.