層次化視角下“合同目的”概念的重構

不存在獨立的、封閉的“合同目的”概念，合同目的總是在不同語境下，以合同內容、合同原因、交易基礎或者合同動機的角色出現。應當走出合同內容/目的/動機的橫向三元論，摒棄過往研究中不斷對合同目的進行內部分類的研究進路，在縱向層次化視角下探索《民法典》規制合同目的的內在邏輯。層次化視角下對合同目的的規制圍繞人的理性展開，法律原則上充分尊重人的理性從而拒絕對動機進行救濟，由此形成了“法律不問動機”的格言，但法律同時也承認人的理性終究不足，從而可能對動機進行外部干涉。當合同目的同時觸發合同內容、合同原因、交易基礎或者純粹動機中兩個或多個層面的法律規制時，應當注意避免不同制度之間的評價矛盾。

There is no independent or closed concept of“contractual purpose.”Rather, contractual purpose always appears in different contexts in the roles of contract content, contractual cause, transactional basis, or contractual motive. It is therefore necessary to move beyond the horizontal tripartite distinction among contract content, purpose, and motive, and to abandon the research approach that has persistently sought to subdivide contractual purpose internally. Instead, inquiry should proceed from a vertical, hierarchical perspective so as to explore the internal logic through which the Civil Code regulates contractual purpose. Under such a hierarchical perspective, the regulation of contractual purpose is centered on human rationality: as a matter of principle, the law accords full respect to human rationality and thus refuses to grant relief on the basis of motive, giving rise to the maxim that“the law does not inquire into motives.”At the same time, however, the law recognizes the inherent limitations of human rationality and therefore allows for external intervention with respect to motives under certain circumstances. Where contractual purpose simultaneously triggers legal regulation at two or more levels—such as contract content, contractual cause, transactional basis, or pure motive—care should be taken to avoid evaluative inconsistencies among different legal regimes.