【IAS】Distinguished Guest Lecture: “The Development of Human Legal Civilization and the Rule of Law in Chinese Society” was successfully held
jaeyang Yang Jia2024-12-16T20:18:59+08:00由澳門大學人文社科高等研究院(IAS)主辦的主題講座「人類法治文明與中國法治社會的發展」於2024年11月22日在澳門大學崇文樓演講廳成功舉行。本次活動特邀中國人民大學涉外法律研究中心特聘專家周大偉教授擔任主講嘉賓,由澳門大學法學院環球法律學系講座教授兼人文社科高等研究院院長於興中教授主持。
講座伊始,周大偉教授從「人類法治文明」的概念背景入手,梳理了其語詞的起源與歷史演進。他指出,人類法治文明是指在人類社會的歷史進程中,以法律為核心,通過立法、執法、司法等制度化手段維護社會秩序、促進公平正義並保障個人權利的一種文明形態。周教授強調,應避免對人類法治文明的三個常見誤解:將不同的認知簡化為「西方的東西」、將民族的特殊方式置於人類共同價值之上,以及將全人類共同堅守的理念錯誤地認定為中國特有。他認為,文化可以多樣,但文明應該趨同;文明更注重普世性與共性,而文化則體現差異性與特殊性。
隨後,周教授轉向中國法治相關問題,回顧了古代法治的發展歷程,並剖析了近現代法治進程中的特殊情況。針對中國法治建設的現狀與未來,周教授分析了多項影響深遠的發展趨勢。他指出,法律職業群體的迅速壯大與專業化,以及司法訴訟數量的顯著增長,標誌著中國法治體系的不斷完善。同時,法律解釋的需求日益精細化,法律實施的範圍和法治權威也在逐步擴大。這些趨勢反映了中國正在逐步形成現代國家治理能力,並通過科技創新助力法治建設,進一步推動法治社會的成熟與成長。
在隨後的討論環節,現場聽眾圍繞中國法治建設的歷程、文化基礎與法治文明的未來挑戰等問題與周教授展開了熱烈交流。周教授指出,認為中國在三四十年間完成歐美數百年法治進程的說法並不準確。他強調,中國的法治建設主要基於學習與移植,許多成就源自對國際規範的借鑒,而非自主創新。此外,他認為當前的法治成果建立在近代先賢的努力基礎之上,但中國的法治進程仍在持續推進,尚未達到全面現代化的目標。
此次活動吸引了來自各學科的學生和教職人員參與,現場討論氣氛熱烈。本次講座為研究法治文明與中國法治社會的發展提供了新視角,也為未來研究奠定了基礎。
The lecture titled “The Development of Human Legal Civilization and the Rule of Law in Chinese Society,” organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS), was successfully held on November 22, 2024, in the Lecture Hall of the Cultural Building at the University of Macau. This event featured Professor Zhou Dawei, Distinguished Expert of the Center for Overseas Legal Studies at Renmin University of China, as the keynote speaker. The lecture was moderated by Professor Yu Xingzhong, Chair Professor of the Faculty of Law and Director of IAS.
In his lecture, Professor Zhou Dawei introduced the concept of “human legal civilization,” tracing its linguistic origins and historical evolution. He explained that human legal civilization refers to a form of civilization that, throughout human history, centers on the rule of law. It is achieved through institutionalized measures such as legislation, enforcement, and adjudication to maintain social order, promote fairness and justice, and safeguard individual rights. Professor Zhou emphasized the importance of avoiding three common misconceptions about human legal civilization: oversimplifying differing perceptions as “Western ideas,” elevating a nation’s unique practices above universal human values, and wrongly interpreting universally upheld principles as being unique to China. He argued that while culture can be diverse, civilization should converge toward commonality; civilization focuses on universality and shared principles, whereas culture emphasizes differences and particularities.
Professor Zhou then turned to issues related to China’s legal system, reviewing the historical development of law in ancient China and analyzing the unique circumstances of its modern legal evolution. He provided insights into several significant trends shaping China’s current and future legal development. These include the rapid growth and professionalization of the legal profession, a notable increase in judicial litigation, and a rising demand for more precise legal interpretation. He also highlighted the expanding scope of legal enforcement and the growing authority of the rule of law. Together, these trends illustrate how China is steadily building modern national governance capabilities, with technological innovation playing a key role in advancing its legal system. These developments are expected to further drive the maturation and growth of China’s rule-of-law society.
During the discussion, Professor Zhou highlighted that the claim of China completing centuries of Western legal progress in a few decades is inaccurate. He explained that China’s legal development largely relies on adopting international norms rather than independent innovation. While current achievements build on earlier reformers’ efforts, he noted that China’s legal progress is still ongoing and has yet to achieve full modernization.
The event attracted students and faculty members from various disciplines, fostering a lively and engaging atmosphere of discussion. This lecture provided new perspectives on the study of legal civilization and the development of the rule-of-law society in China, laying a solid foundation for future research.