论利他合同
摘要
虽然合同相对性原则仍不失为合同法的一项重要原则，但是随着社会经济的发展，严格的合同相对性原则已越来越难满足现实生活的需要，合同相对性原则的例外情况也越来越多地出现。本文即是以合同相对性原则的例外之一——利他合同——为研究对象的。本文所研究的利他合同是指合同双方当事人约定由债务人向第三人为给付，并使第三人直接取得请求债务人给付的权利的合同。
首先，文章分析了利他合同产生的现实基础和理论依据，认为利他合同是随着商业交往扩展的现实需要产生的，是对合同相对性原则的突破，是意思自治原则的体现。利他合同可以最大限度地扩充当事人的合同自由，充分体现私法自治精神，具有降低交易成本、保护第三人的信赖利益等作用。通过大陆法系、英美法系国家对利他合同制度立法的历史沿革及现状的综合描述，可以看到两大法系均通过不同方式承认了该项制度，对利他合同的承认已成为现代合同法的一个发展趋势。我国也有必要借鉴大陆法系的相关规定来建立利他合同制度。
其次，文章具体阐述了利他合同的以下法律特征：第三人不是合同的订立者，但第三人如不拒绝，便可根据合同当事人的意思表示独立享受权利，且受益第三人一般不受行为能力限制，债权人同时享有请求债务人向第三人给付之权利。文章还将利他合同与民法中其他类似制度进行比较，从反面界定了利他合同的外延，以利于更清楚地认识利他合同的特征。
第三，文章分析了利他合同的原因关系和构成要件。补偿关系与对价关系是利他合同的两个相互联系又各自独立的原因关系，但二者对利他合同起着不同作用。其中，补偿关系对利他合同的成立起着决定性作用。利他合同的原因关系不限于严格意义的补偿、对价，还包括无偿、无对价但合法有效的其他原因关系。
利他合同除应符合一般合同的成立生效要件外，还要有合法有效的第三人利益约款存在，即合同当事人约定由债务人向第三人为给付，且合同当事人有使第三人对债务人直接取得债权的意思表示，此处的意思表示不以明示为必要，依据合同订立的目的及合同订立的环境可以推断出当事人有这一意思表示即可。第三人权利何时生效是利他合同的一个核心问题，文章对各国在该问题上三种不同的立法例作出了详细阐述和对比，作者倾向于将第三人权利的生效时间确定为第
三人向债务人作出受益表示之时。
第四，文章阐述了利他合同对合同当事人及受益第三人均产生不同于一般
合同的特殊效力。受益第三人的权利直接来源于利他合同，其享有履行合同的请
求权及相关的赔偿请求权。债权人有请求债务人向第三人给付的权利及相关的赔
偿请求权。债务人对第三人负有给付义务，也可用基于合同所产生的一切抗辩来
对抗第三人。利他合同的撤销、变更、解除权均应由合同的当事人行使。在第三
人同意接受合同权利之前，合同当事人可协商变更、解除合同;但在第三人表示
接受合同权利之后，合同当事人只能行使在合同中约定的或法定的变更、解除权。
由于利他合同的效力涉及第三人，故其解除的法律后果也有独特之处。
最后，文章对我国关于利他合同的立法现状进行了分析，认为我国合同法
第64条不是对利他合同的一般规则的规定，我国法律对利他合同的规定散见于
合同法分则及一些特别法，由于缺少一般性规则，导致在具体法律没有规定时，
出现无法可依的局面。因此，尽快完善我国的利他合同法律规范势在必行。针对
存在的问题，在参考国外法律制度的相关规定的基础上，结合我国实际，作者在
文章最后提出了自己的立法建议。
关键词:
第三人;债权人;债务人;利益;合同;利他合同
The principle of relativity is one of the important principles in Contract Law. With the development of social economy, the strict relativity principle of contract cannot meet our demands any longer and there are more and more exceptional cases in real life. The Third-party Beneficiary Contract is a particular one. The Third-party Beneficiary Contract specified in this article is the contract in which both contracting parties agree that the debtor pay the proceeds of the contract to a third party and the third party has the right to request the payment directly.First, the article analyses the realistic foundation and the theory basis of the existence of the Third-party Beneficiary Contract. It comes with the realistic requirement of expansion of commercial contact, which is the breakthrough to the principle of relativity and the reflection of autonomy of private law. The Third-party Beneficiary Contract may let litigants expand their freedom of contract to its maximum limits. It fully reflects the spirit of autonomy of private law and has the ability to reduce the transaction costs and protect the faith benefit of the third party. Through the synthesis description of historical evolution and present situation of the legislation of the Third-party Beneficiary Contract system in both law systems, we can see that either the continental law system or the Anglo-American law system admits this contract system in different ways. The acknowledgement to the Third-party Beneficiary Contract has become a new development tendency in modern Contracts Law. It is necessary to establish the Third-party Beneficiary Contract system in China by referring to some interrelated stipulations in the continental law system.Then, the article concretely elaborates the following legal characteristics of the Third-party Beneficiary Contract: the third party is not the stipulator of the contract, but he may express enjoying the right independently according to contract litigants' meaning if he does not refuse it. In general, the third-party beneficiary is not restricted in his active legal capacity. Also, the creditor has the right to request the debtor to pay the duty to the third party. By comparing the Third-party Beneficiary Contract to other similar regulations in the "Civil Law", the article shows the contract's extension from
the other side, which gives us a much clear review of its features.Third, the article analyses the reason relations in the Third-party Beneficiary Contract, and the basic elements of being established and effective. Compensation and consideration are two related but also independent reason relations in the Third-party Beneficiary Contract, they play different roles in the contract. Compensation plays the decisive role in the establishment of the contract. The reason relation in the contract is not limited in the strict significance of compensation and consideration, which also includes other legal and effective reason relations other than compensation and consideration.To become effective, the Third-party Beneficiary Contract need a legal and effective third party interests clause besides the basic elements of being established and effective of the common contracts. That is, the contracting parties agree that the debtor pays the duty to the third party and the contracting parties have the expression that the third party can obtain the creditor's rights directly from the debtor. It is not necessarily clear expression and it can be concluded from the objective and the situation of the contract. How to determine the time that the contract becomes effective is the core problem in the analysis of the Third-party Beneficiary Contract. The article elaborates and compares three different lawmaking in details on this problem in various countries. The author prefers the viewpoint that the effective time is when the third party shows his expression of profit to the debtor.Fourth, the article analyses the Third-party Beneficiary Contract's special efficacy different with other contracts to both contracting parties and the third-pa
首先，文章分析了利他合同产生的现实基础和理论依据，认为利他合同是随着商业交往扩展的现实需要产生的，是对合同相对性原则的突破，是意思自治原则的体现。利他合同可以最大限度地扩充当事人的合同自由，充分体现私法自治精神，具有降低交易成本、保护第三人的信赖利益等作用。通过大陆法系、英美法系国家对利他合同制度立法的历史沿革及现状的综合描述，可以看到两大法系均通过不同方式承认了该项制度，对利他合同的承认已成为现代合同法的一个发展趋势。我国也有必要借鉴大陆法系的相关规定来建立利他合同制度。
其次，文章具体阐述了利他合同的以下法律特征：第三人不是合同的订立者，但第三人如不拒绝，便可根据合同当事人的意思表示独立享受权利，且受益第三人一般不受行为能力限制，债权人同时享有请求债务人向第三人给付之权利。文章还将利他合同与民法中其他类似制度进行比较，从反面界定了利他合同的外延，以利于更清楚地认识利他合同的特征。
第三，文章分析了利他合同的原因关系和构成要件。补偿关系与对价关系是利他合同的两个相互联系又各自独立的原因关系，但二者对利他合同起着不同作用。其中，补偿关系对利他合同的成立起着决定性作用。利他合同的原因关系不限于严格意义的补偿、对价，还包括无偿、无对价但合法有效的其他原因关系。
利他合同除应符合一般合同的成立生效要件外，还要有合法有效的第三人利益约款存在，即合同当事人约定由债务人向第三人为给付，且合同当事人有使第三人对债务人直接取得债权的意思表示，此处的意思表示不以明示为必要，依据合同订立的目的及合同订立的环境可以推断出当事人有这一意思表示即可。第三人权利何时生效是利他合同的一个核心问题，文章对各国在该问题上三种不同的立法例作出了详细阐述和对比，作者倾向于将第三人权利的生效时间确定为第
三人向债务人作出受益表示之时。
第四，文章阐述了利他合同对合同当事人及受益第三人均产生不同于一般
合同的特殊效力。受益第三人的权利直接来源于利他合同，其享有履行合同的请
求权及相关的赔偿请求权。债权人有请求债务人向第三人给付的权利及相关的赔
偿请求权。债务人对第三人负有给付义务，也可用基于合同所产生的一切抗辩来
对抗第三人。利他合同的撤销、变更、解除权均应由合同的当事人行使。在第三
人同意接受合同权利之前，合同当事人可协商变更、解除合同;但在第三人表示
接受合同权利之后，合同当事人只能行使在合同中约定的或法定的变更、解除权。
由于利他合同的效力涉及第三人，故其解除的法律后果也有独特之处。
最后，文章对我国关于利他合同的立法现状进行了分析，认为我国合同法
第64条不是对利他合同的一般规则的规定，我国法律对利他合同的规定散见于
合同法分则及一些特别法，由于缺少一般性规则，导致在具体法律没有规定时，
出现无法可依的局面。因此，尽快完善我国的利他合同法律规范势在必行。针对
存在的问题，在参考国外法律制度的相关规定的基础上，结合我国实际，作者在
文章最后提出了自己的立法建议。
关键词:
第三人;债权人;债务人;利益;合同;利他合同
The principle of relativity is one of the important principles in Contract Law. With the development of social economy, the strict relativity principle of contract cannot meet our demands any longer and there are more and more exceptional cases in real life. The Third-party Beneficiary Contract is a particular one. The Third-party Beneficiary Contract specified in this article is the contract in which both contracting parties agree that the debtor pay the proceeds of the contract to a third party and the third party has the right to request the payment directly.First, the article analyses the realistic foundation and the theory basis of the existence of the Third-party Beneficiary Contract. It comes with the realistic requirement of expansion of commercial contact, which is the breakthrough to the principle of relativity and the reflection of autonomy of private law. The Third-party Beneficiary Contract may let litigants expand their freedom of contract to its maximum limits. It fully reflects the spirit of autonomy of private law and has the ability to reduce the transaction costs and protect the faith benefit of the third party. Through the synthesis description of historical evolution and present situation of the legislation of the Third-party Beneficiary Contract system in both law systems, we can see that either the continental law system or the Anglo-American law system admits this contract system in different ways. The acknowledgement to the Third-party Beneficiary Contract has become a new development tendency in modern Contracts Law. It is necessary to establish the Third-party Beneficiary Contract system in China by referring to some interrelated stipulations in the continental law system.Then, the article concretely elaborates the following legal characteristics of the Third-party Beneficiary Contract: the third party is not the stipulator of the contract, but he may express enjoying the right independently according to contract litigants' meaning if he does not refuse it. In general, the third-party beneficiary is not restricted in his active legal capacity. Also, the creditor has the right to request the debtor to pay the duty to the third party. By comparing the Third-party Beneficiary Contract to other similar regulations in the "Civil Law", the article shows the contract's extension from
the other side, which gives us a much clear review of its features.Third, the article analyses the reason relations in the Third-party Beneficiary Contract, and the basic elements of being established and effective. Compensation and consideration are two related but also independent reason relations in the Third-party Beneficiary Contract, they play different roles in the contract. Compensation plays the decisive role in the establishment of the contract. The reason relation in the contract is not limited in the strict significance of compensation and consideration, which also includes other legal and effective reason relations other than compensation and consideration.To become effective, the Third-party Beneficiary Contract need a legal and effective third party interests clause besides the basic elements of being established and effective of the common contracts. That is, the contracting parties agree that the debtor pays the duty to the third party and the contracting parties have the expression that the third party can obtain the creditor's rights directly from the debtor. It is not necessarily clear expression and it can be concluded from the objective and the situation of the contract. How to determine the time that the contract becomes effective is the core problem in the analysis of the Third-party Beneficiary Contract. The article elaborates and compares three different lawmaking in details on this problem in various countries. The author prefers the viewpoint that the effective time is when the third party shows his expression of profit to the debtor.Fourth, the article analyses the Third-party Beneficiary Contract's special efficacy different with other contracts to both contracting parties and the third-pa
引文
1．王利明著：《合同法研究》(第一卷)，中国人民大学出版社2002年版。
2．王利明著：《合同法研究》(第二卷)，中国人民大学出版社2002年版．
3．周枏著：《罗马法原论》 (下册)，商务印书馆2001年版。
4．史尚宽著：《民法总论》，中国政法大学出版社2000年版。
5．史尚宽著：《债法总论》，中国政法大学出版社2000年版。
6．王泽鉴著：《民法学说与判例研究》 (第2册)，中国政法大学出版社1998年版。
7．王泽鉴著：《民法学说与判例研究》 (第7册)，中国政法大学出版社1998年版。
8．傅静坤著：《二十世纪契约法》，法律出版社1997年版
9．尹田著：《法国现代合同法》，法律出版社1995年版。
10．戴修瓒著：《民法债编总论》，三民书局1993年版。
11．冯大同著：《国际商法》，对外经济贸易大学出版社1991年版。
12．孙森焱著：《民法债编总论》，三民书局1985年版。
13．[英]P．S阿狄亚著，赵旭东等译：《合同法导论》，法律出版社2002年版。
14．[德]海因·克茨著，周忠海等译：《欧洲合同法》，法律出版社2001年版．
15．[英]A．G．盖斯特著：《英国合同法与案例》，中国大百科全书出版社1998年版。
16．[意]彼德罗·彭梵得著，黄风译：《罗马法教科书》，中国政法大学出版社1992年版。
1．尹田：《论涉他契约》，载《法学研究》2001年第1期。
2．杨丽君：《论英美法合同相对性原则》，载《民商法论从》第12卷。
3．黄建荣：《第三人利益契约类型之探讨》 (上)，载《法律评论》第 55卷第12期。
4?
4．赖上林：《保险受益人法律地位之研究》，载《法学丛刊》第181期。
5．冉昊：《论涉他合同》，载《山东法学》1999年第4期。
6．[英]斯蒂芬·戈文著，张明远译：《英国法律委员会合同〈第三人权利〉议案草案和海上货物运输》，载《外国法译评》，2000年第1期。
2．王利明著：《合同法研究》(第二卷)，中国人民大学出版社2002年版．
3．周枏著：《罗马法原论》 (下册)，商务印书馆2001年版。
4．史尚宽著：《民法总论》，中国政法大学出版社2000年版。
5．史尚宽著：《债法总论》，中国政法大学出版社2000年版。
6．王泽鉴著：《民法学说与判例研究》 (第2册)，中国政法大学出版社1998年版。
7．王泽鉴著：《民法学说与判例研究》 (第7册)，中国政法大学出版社1998年版。
8．傅静坤著：《二十世纪契约法》，法律出版社1997年版
9．尹田著：《法国现代合同法》，法律出版社1995年版。
10．戴修瓒著：《民法债编总论》，三民书局1993年版。
11．冯大同著：《国际商法》，对外经济贸易大学出版社1991年版。
12．孙森焱著：《民法债编总论》，三民书局1985年版。
13．[英]P．S阿狄亚著，赵旭东等译：《合同法导论》，法律出版社2002年版。
14．[德]海因·克茨著，周忠海等译：《欧洲合同法》，法律出版社2001年版．
15．[英]A．G．盖斯特著：《英国合同法与案例》，中国大百科全书出版社1998年版。
16．[意]彼德罗·彭梵得著，黄风译：《罗马法教科书》，中国政法大学出版社1992年版。
1．尹田：《论涉他契约》，载《法学研究》2001年第1期。
2．杨丽君：《论英美法合同相对性原则》，载《民商法论从》第12卷。
3．黄建荣：《第三人利益契约类型之探讨》 (上)，载《法律评论》第 55卷第12期。
4?
4．赖上林：《保险受益人法律地位之研究》，载《法学丛刊》第181期。
5．冉昊：《论涉他合同》，载《山东法学》1999年第4期。
6．[英]斯蒂芬·戈文著，张明远译：《英国法律委员会合同〈第三人权利〉议案草案和海上货物运输》，载《外国法译评》，2000年第1期。