The Projection of the Xiezhi: Chinese Legal Culture

Author: Guo Jian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The Projection of the Xiezhi is a systematic work that interprets Chinese legal culture. Law is a clearly defined social norm, and an ideal law should be highly precise. However, many issues related to law, such as why people obey the law, why certain laws exist, and how people are corrected by law, lack precise boundaries. In actual judicial and law enforcement processes, the ideal of precision is highly questionable. "Legal culture" explains precisely these imprecise aspects. In fact, all of Guo Jian's legal works elaborate on legal culture, but this book is more specific and systematic. The "Xiezhi" (pronounced xiezhi) is a mythical unicorn used by the legendary Chinese judge Gao Yao (pronounced gaoyao) when presiding over cases. When faced with indecisive cases, this creature would use its horn to touch the party at fault. Xu Shen, in his Shuowen Jiezi, determined that the Chinese character for "law" (fa) originates from this unicorn. The aspiration for fair and just laws is also embodied in this creature. Guo Jian begins by interpreting this mythical beast, introducing and analyzing China's legal culture from various perspectives, such as the continuous legal codes, the satisfying "three great executioners," and the. He combines the interpretation of traditional Chinese law with intellectual history, folk history, social history, and literary art, creating a rich and vivid picture that is both engaging and enlightening.