秦律中的「君子」一詞，歷來有：與爵位相關的稱號、官員，以及品性較高且擔任一定行政職務者等解釋。本文考察秦律相關條文後，認定秦律中的「君子」應與爵位相關。其指涉範圍可能是第六級官大夫到第九級五大夫之間的爵位。這是秦律對超越了作為捕斬晉爵上限的第五級大夫，但尚未晉級到被稱為「卿」的第十級左庶長到第十八級大庶長間爵位者的稱呼。隨著爵位的貶值，部分「君子」在秦統一前後已經陷入與戍卒共同服役，甚至因居貲被笞打的困境。漢高祖五年詔更透露秦律「君子」中最低階的官大夫已不再是高爵。法律待遇的日益低下導致秦律「君子」的概念逐漸失去意義。到了張家山漢簡《二年律令》時，雖然還以「卿」指涉左庶長到大庶長之間的爵位，卻未見以「君子」稱官大夫到五大夫之間的爵位，顯示這個法律概念可能已消失在歷史的洪流中。其消逝過程向我們展示了秦末軍功爵貶值的部分進程。

This article argues that the "Gentleman"(junzi 君子) in Qin law was related to the Qin’s twenty rank system. It likely corresponded to the sixth through ninth ranks, above those who could rise to the fifth rank by capturing or killing the enemy but below the "Ministers" (qing 卿) at ranks ten through eighteen. However, as more and more people advanced in rank during the wars that led to the establishment of the Qin dynasty, "Gentleman" became a less precious identity. Men at these ranks sometimes served together with low ranking military officers, and they could be subjected to corporal punishment. A Han edict from 202 BCE shows that by that time the sixth rank was no longer regarded as a high rank, and legal texts from Zhangjiashan Tomb no. 247, dating to 186 BCE, reveal that while people at ranks ten through eighteen were still honored as "Ministers", "Gentleman" was no longer used to reference ranks six to ten. This suggests that this legal concept had already disappeared into history, a casualty of the "depreciation" of ranks in the lead-up to the Qin.