歐洲文明采納和改造不同的文明元素,經歷數百年痛苦的文化互動與磨合,終于成形于中世紀中期。其文明確立的標志是有著廣泛社會共識、被明確定義并根植于自然權利的"元規則":財產權利、同意權利、程序權利、自衛權利和生命權利。它們是深層次、始基性規則系統,是決定規則的規則,它們是不可讓渡的應然權利,卻影響著實定法權利,進而深刻地影響著歐洲社會走向。這些元規則自成體系,奠定了西方文明的基礎,從而使西方成為西方。

Over several hundred years of cultural interaction and integration in the Middle Ages, European civilization finally took shape through the adopting and reforming of different cultural elements. Its formation was not marked by "Western Science and Technology" but "meta-rules". There is a broad social consensus of Meta-rules which are clearly defined and rooted in natural rights — namely, rights to property, rights to consent, rights to procedure justice, rights to self-defense and rights to life. Meta-rules are deep and primordial rule systems, or rules that determine other rules. They are inalienable rights and negative freedom rights, but affect the rights of positive law, and thus profoundly affect the direction of European society. These meta-rules form their own system, lay the foundation for Western civilization, and shape the West to what it is.