純粹法學(Reine Rechtslehre; Pure Theory of Law)主張「應然與實然的區分」,眾所皆知。然而,如果進一步追問:這個主張究何所指?其重點何在?又如何在法律世界當中彰顯其意義?則恐怕不只是無法得到清楚解答,反而還可能看見各式各樣的誤會和曲解。長久以來,純粹法學因為主張應然與實然的區分,而往往被認為是一種與現實脫節,因而耽溺於形式主義的象牙塔理論。然而這樣的論斷不僅暴露出對純粹法學的嚴重誤解,也往往忽略了主張「規範與現實密切結合」本身的盲點。有鑑於此,本文透過釋字第728號解釋的案例檢討,指出在純粹法學觀點下,混淆規範與現實究竟會造成什麼樣的弊端,並藉此澄清純粹法學區分規範與現實的主旨與目的何在。
The Pure Theory of Law has long been recognized as one of the most significant and influential legal theories in the world. Nevertheless, the way it looks at the relation between norm and reality has invited so many misunderstandings that its well-known argument for a clear distinction between norm and reality has repeatedly been criticized for isolating legal norms from the real world. Through a critical analysis of the reasoning of J. Y. Interpretation No. 728, this essay purports not only to illustrate why and how numerous misunderstandings of the Pure Theory of Law have occurred, but also to clarify the relationship between norm and reality in light of the Pure Theory of Law.