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
2.1.2 The functions of context
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
