Laws Come from What Is Appropriate
法律是从道义产生的。这是西汉淮南王刘安提出的法理观点。其基本看法是，法律是人为制定用来规范人自身的行为的，而法律制定的基础或依据则是众所公认的道义。其中隐含着法律正义的观念，和西方从古希腊罗马到近代一脉相承的“正义说”遥相辉映。
The law is born of what is most appropriate. This was the viewpoint of Liu An, King of Huainan in the Western Han Dynasty. His belief rests on the principle that laws are intentionally crafted by people, acting as a compass for guiding their conduct. The foundation on which laws are built, or their intrinsic rationale, springs from a collective moral consensus — a social agreement on what is deemed fitting and fair. Liu An's philosophy embeds a profound reflection on legal justice — a strand that parallels the Western narratives on justice that took root in ancient Greece and Rome and evolved through to the modern age.
引例 Citations：
◎法生于义，义生于众适，众适合于人心，此治之要也。（《淮南子·主术训》）
法律产生于道义，道义产生于众人认可的行为，众人认可的行为又合于人们的意愿，这是治国理政的关键所在。
Law emanates from what is appropriate, appropriateness arises from a shared consensus, and this consensus resonates with the human heart. This is the fundamental principle of governance. (Huainanzi)
◎法者，非天堕，非地生，发于人间，而反以自正。（《淮南子·主术训》）
所谓法律，不是从天上掉下来的，也不是从地下冒出来的，它产生于人类社会又反过来规范人自身的行为。
Law does not drop from the sky or spring from the earth; it originates from the human world and, in turn, serves to rectify our actions. (Huainanzi)
推荐：教育部 国家语委
供稿：北京外国语大学 外语教学与研究出版社
责任编辑：钱耐安
