语境理论在法律语言模糊性明晰化中的应用

论文摘要

在众多立法文本和司法过程中,语言的模糊性是法律语言中很常见的一个现象。越来越多的语言学家和法学家使用不同的方法论来研究这一问题。在继哈特的“开放性结构”之后,陆陆续续出现很多法学家开始讨论法律语言模糊性这个问题,其中比较具有代表性的包括凯尔森的完成理论和德沃金的正解论,他们都认为研究这一课题离不开语境,但是这两种理论存在的问题是他们并没有直接指出语境理论可以将法律语言中的模糊性明晰化。为此,本文以语境理论这一全新的视角,通过对美国的著名案例进行分析,来研究法律语言模糊性的明晰化问题。本文通过使用语境理论并提出两个主要研究方向来学习模糊性。一方面,语境理论的使用可以解释并使人们更好地理解法律文本和法院的判决。另一方面,明确指出语境的主要功能可以使法律语言模糊性更加明晰化。其次,本文作者认为模糊语言在法律文本中是不可或缺的重要特征,通过对美国联邦最高法院判例的分析,本文旨在发现在立法文本和法院判决中存在的模糊性语言,以及作者结合语境理论和模糊性理论来使法律语言模糊性明晰化。

论文目录

• Acknowledgements
• Abstract
• 摘要
• Contents
• CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
• 1.1 Rationale for the study
• 1.2 Statement of the problems
• 1.3 Significance of the study
• CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
• 2.1 Previous studies of the theory of context
• 2.1.1 The ingredients of context
• 2.1.1.1 Micro-context
• 2.1.1.2 Macro-context
• 2.1.2 The functions of context
• 2.1.2.1 The semantic function
• 2.1.2.2 The cultural function
• 2.2 Previous study of vagueness related to legal language
• 2.2.1 Overseas researches about legal vagueness
• 2.2.2 The researches about legal vagueness in China
• CHAPTER THREE VAGUENESS IN LAW
• 3.1 Definition of vagueness in law
• 3.2 The difference between vagueness and ambiguity
• 3.3 The difference between vagueness and fuzziness
• CHAPTER FOUR CLARIFYING VAGUENESS IN LEGAL LANGUAGE BY USING THE THEORY OF CONTEXT: THE CASE STUDY OF AMERICAN CASE
• 4.1 The ways of clarifying vagueness in legal language in previous research
• 4.1.1 Hans Kelsen: the principle of completeness
• 4.1.2 Donald Dworkin: the right answer thesis
• 4.2 The author’s proposal: the theory of context to clarify the vagueness in American case
• 4.2.1 The analysis of vagueness in the opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States about the case: the vagueness in Plessy v. Ferguson
• 4.2.2 The vagueness of the opinion of the U. S. Supreme Court causing the misunderstanding of the law
• 4.3 The exterior context of the case of Plessy v. Ferguson
• 4.4 The functions of context clarifying the vagueness in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson
• 4.4.1 Perspectives of the semantic function of the context
• 4.4.2 Perspectives of the cultural function of the context
• 4.5 Social significance of the abolition of the doctrine of “separate but equal”in the United States
• CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION
• Bibliography