《民法通則》是改革開放初期制定的一部具有民法總則性質的民法單行法,通過確立民法基本原則、民事主體和民事法律行為及代理制度,宣示民事主體享有的民事權利,建立較為完整的民事責任制度等立法舉措,喚起了民眾的民事權利意識,保障了中國經濟社會的高速發展,奠定了中國民法典的基本框架和內容,在中國當代歷史上具有重要價值。隨著經濟社會的發展,民法必須隨時代的發展而變化,民法學為當代民法立法提供理論支撐,依法治國的法治藍圖為實現中國當代民法的歷史跨越注入強大動力,因而民法典編纂具備了必要條件。《民法總則》的制定完成,適應時代經濟、人文和法治特征的要求,彰顯民法典的人文主義立場和精神,迎接當代科學技術發展的挑戰,保障人對新型權利及其客體的享有和支配,標志著《民法通則》完成了歷史任務,標志著中國當代民法實現了歷史性跨越,奠定了我國民法典編纂的基礎和分則各編的框架和內容。

The General Principles of Civil Law(民法通則),formulated in the early days of reform and opening up, was a single law that set out the basic principles or rules of civil law,defining the actor in civil affairs,civil law behaviors and the agency system; declaring the civil rights enjoyed by civil entities; establishing a relatively complete civil liability system; and so on. These legislative measures aroused awareness of civil rights among the mass of the population, ensured China’s rapid economic and social development,and laid down the basic framework and content of the civil code, so they hold an important position in contemporary Chinese history.But as the economy and society have developed, civil law has had to change with the times. Civil law jurisprudence injects theoretical support into contemporary civil law legislation, and the rule of law blueprint for governing the country according to law provides a powerful impetus to the historic leap of contemporary Chinese civil law,providing the necessary conditions for the codification of civil law. The completion of the General Rules o f Civil Law(民法總則) meets the requirements of the economic,humanist and legal character of the times; demonstrates the humanist position and spirit of the civil code; rises to the challenge of modern scientific and technological development; and assures people’s enjoyment and control of their new-style rights with their objective forms. This signifies that the General Principle of Civil Law has accomplished its historical task and civil law in contemporary China has realized its historic leap forward,laying a foundation for the drawing up of the Chinese civil code, including the specific provisions of the framework and contents of each chapter.