Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 6, 2025

Constructing a New-Era Legal Discipline System

(Abstract)

Ma Huaide

Building a legal discipline system suited to the new era is a foundational undertaking in the development of the “three major systems” of Chinese law. Over the past seventy years, the evolution of China’s legal studies has gone through three stages: initial exploration, system building, and the development of distinctive features. A relatively comprehensive and well-structured disciplinary system has begun to take shape. As a discipline marked by both political significance and practical orientation, law must now respond to the insufficient scientific grounding of traditional disciplinary structures, as well as to the evolving primary social contradictions and national tasks. This requires a renewed focus on the scientific rationale behind disciplinary design and an acceleration in constructing a legal discipline system for the new era. In configuring primary and secondary disciplines within the legal category, it is necessary to account for factors such as research objects, theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and organizational forms. The construction of this system should follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and adhere to principles of confidence and self-reliance, integrity and innovation, problem-oriented thinking, and systemic vision. Specific strategies include adjusting academic disciplines and majors, promoting emerging fields, fostering interdisciplinary integration, and enhancing foreign-related legal studies. These efforts aim to drive the coordinated development of the legal discipline system, academic system, and discourse system, and to accelerate the formation of a world-class legal discipline system with Chinese characteristics.