民主理论对法律解释方法的影响--基于美国制定法解释方法演变的分析

摘要

法律解释方法的形成受到多方面因素的影响，民主理论是其中最重要的因素之一。美国20世纪前对民主会带来多数专制的极度担忧，促使了制定法解释方法上平义论的形成，20世纪中期臻于鼎盛的乐观的多元主义民主观笃信民主过程可以生产妥当的公共政策，促使了制定法解释方法上意图论和目的论的形成，而之后的公共选择理论致力于揭示政治自由市场这只“看不见的手”的负面影响和民主过程的失灵，促使了制定法解释方法上“新文本论”的产生。%The methods of statutory interpretation are influenced by many factors,among which the democratic theory is the most important one. Before the twentieth century,worries about the tyranny of majority in the US led to the plain meaning method in statutory interpretation. During the mid-20th century,optimistic pluralism maintaining that democratic process would produce sound public policies for the benefits of all people led to intentionalism and teleology. Afterwards,the public choice theory trying hard to reveal the defects of the‘unseen hand’of the political free market and the failures of democratic process has led to the‘neo-textualism’in statutory interpretation.