【作者】 杜鹃；

【导师】 马建红； 林明；

【作者基本信息】 山东大学 ， 法律史， 2008， 硕士

【摘要】 订婚时男方向女方给付聘礼是一种具有久远历史的订婚习惯,这种习惯直至现代中国仍然普遍存在。现行法律不认可聘礼习惯的效力,仅将其作为一种落后的习俗乃至买卖妇女的价金对待,这引发了法律与习惯之间的冲突。聘礼在中国古代是一种重要的婚姻法律制度。本文通过对古代聘礼法律制度和聘礼习惯进行历史的考察,认为中国传统聘礼并非就是买卖婚姻中的价金。聘礼性质属于婚约合同定金,具有保证婚约履行、避免随意违约的作用。聘礼最终归属于因履行婚约而成立的新家庭,是一种传统的家庭财产分割辅助性方式。聘礼产生原因是由于在传统农业社会中妇女依附于男子,社会性道德对妇女要求苛刻,妇女必须保持婚前贞洁以保证其婚姻市场价值。为了减少妇女在订婚失败后因贞操丧失或者性评价降低而导致婚姻市场贬值的风险,妇女需要男子在订婚时提供聘礼作为的担保措施。在现代中国社会中,由于受社会条件和经济发展水平的限制,传统性道德仍然具有一定地位,婚前贞洁在择偶过程中仍然起到重要作用,因此聘礼仍然具有存在的必要性,应当在目前司法实践中承认聘礼习惯。更多还原

【Abstract】 It is a traditional custom of a man giving betrothal gift to a woman when they get engaged, which still exists in modern Chinese society. The existing law does not acknowledge that the custom of betrothal gift has any force of law. Instead, it is only regarded as an uncultured custom or even the price of trading women, which results in the conflict between the law and the custom. Betrothal gift was an important Chinese ancient marriage legal system. This paper investigates the ancient betrothal gift legal system and the traditional betrothal gift custom, finding that the traditional betrothal gift is not the price of trading women, but the earnest of the engagement. Betrothal gift can guarantee the wedding contract be fulfilled and avoid the man who gives the betrothal gift breaking his promise inconsiderately. Betrothal gift belongs to the new family theoretically, which is also a supporting method of dividing family property. Usually women have to depend on men in a traditional agricultural society. The sexual ethics in such society are also strict with women. Women have to keep their chastity before marriage to guarantee their value in the marriage market so as to find ideal husbands. In order to minimize the risk of devaluation in the marriage market, women have to ask for earnest when they get engaged with men. Owing to the restriction of societal condition and economic level of modern Chinese society, women are still not economically independent enough to change the traditional sexual ethics. The betrothal gift as earnest is important for women yet. It is necessary to acknowledge the legal validity of the custom of the betrothal gift.更多还原