作者：罗冠男
作者介绍：中国政法大学法律史学研究院教授
出版日期：2026年10月9日
内容提要 生产并提供扎根中国文化、立足中国国情、解决中国问题的标识性概念，是构建中国法学自主知识体系的关键所在。作为中华法治文明的重要标识，慎刑概念根植于天人合一的宇宙观，回应着德主刑辅的国家政治理想，形成死刑复核、证据裁判、恤刑宽宥等制度，并在司法实践中持续发展，兼具哲学、政治、法律的多重意涵，且其适用也不限于刑事领域。近代以降，域外的刑法谦抑性概念得以引入并被广泛使用。与之相比，立足本土法治的慎刑概念虽由明转暗，但其功能得以实际延续，呈现出“隐而不没”的存在样态。在当代中国的法治实践中，慎刑具备作为标识性概念的应然性。重视这一标识性概念，对于构建中国法学自主知识体系具有重要价值。
关键词 慎刑 标识性概念 自主知识体系 本土法治 谦抑
Abstract: The production and provision of iconic concepts that are embedded in Chinese culture, grounded in China’s national conditions, and responsive to China’s practical issues are crucial to the construction of an independent knowledge system of Chinese legal science. As a significant symbol of Chinese legal civilization, the concept of ‘cautious punishment’ (shenxing) is rooted in the cosmological view of the unity of heaven and humanity, responds to the state political ideal of ‘virtue as the principal and punishment as the supplementary,’ and gave rise to institutions such as the review of death sentences, adjudication based on evidence, and leniency and commutation. It continuously evolved in judicial practice, bearing multiple philosophical, political, and legal dimensions, and its application was not limited to the criminal sphere. Since modern times, the foreign concept of ‘moderation of criminal law’ has been introduced and widely used. In contrast, while the concept of ‘cautious punishment’ rooted in indigenous rule of law receded from prominence, its function has continued in practice, manifesting a state of being ‘hidden but not extinguished.’ In contemporary Chinese rule-of-law practice, ‘cautious punishment’ possesses both rationality and potential to serve as an iconic concept. Attaching importance to this iconic concept holds significant value for building an independent knowledge system of Chinese legal science.