法律東方主義的醒與迷——評絡德睦新著《法律東方主義：中國、美國與現代法》

The Clarity and Confusion of Legal Orientalism

後殖民主義研究在文化學界逐漸傳播開來，但在法學界尚不多見，尤其是在中國法律思想界近乎空白。絡德睦新著《法律東方主義》將東方主義引入法律研究中，認為法律是當代西方構築主體性不可或缺的部分，法律東方主義是歐美比較法學者無法避免的前見。中國不存在法律，或者說不存在真正的法律，這成為東西二元思維在法律領域中的典型投射。這一話語不但限制了中西法律知識視野，也影響了駐華法院和治外法權、排華法案等實踐運動。絡德睦的理論頗有助於反思並超越西方中心的歷史觀念和權力話語，推進多元法律文明的發展，樹立中國法律思想的主體性。當然，在中國目前的語境下，對法律東方主義的過度強調，容易異化為狹隘民族主義和文化保守主義，誇大西方法律文明的文化霸權，導致另一種不客觀的學術判斷。法律東方主義需要清理，但東方法律主義的探尋也必須建立在與西方文明的融匯對話之上。

Post colonialism studies gradually spread in the cultural field, but in the legal science is rare, especially in the field of Chinese legal ideas is almost blank. Legal Orientalism written by Teemu Ruskola recently of Orientalism is introduced to the law legal research, that the law is an integral part of contemporary Western construction of subjectivity. “Legal Orientalism” cannot be avoided by European and American scholars of comparative law. Chinese law does not exist or that there is no real law, becomes the projection of EastWest dichotomy in the areas of law. This discourse is not only restricted view of Chinese and Western legal knowledge, also affected the practice sports such as the foreign court, extraterritorial jurisdiction, Chinese Exclusion Act and so on. Teemu Ruskolas theory is of great help to rethink and surpass the Western historical concept and powerful discours, which will push forward the development of the multilegal cultures and establish the subjectivity of Chinese legal idea.But in the context of China, the excessive emphasis on law of Legal orientalism, might easily into narrow nationalism and cultural conservatism, exaggerating the cultural hegemony of Western civilization and lead to another objective academic judgment. Legal orientalism of law needs to be cleaned, but the search of Legal orientalism also must be based on dialogue with the fusion of Western civilization.