ABSTRACT In On Law and Economy in Society, Weber presents trial by ordeal as being the archetype of formal irrationality. Drawing on illustrations of ordeal from the ancient Near East to the present day, this article critiques Weber and argues that a more nuanced understanding of the operation of ordeal reveals flaws and inconsistencies in Weber’s understanding of the ordeal, and consequently his classification of the phenomenon as being formally irrational. Ordeal is also a phenomenon of duality; the first aspect of human and magico-religious judges works with power dramas and sleight of hand to conceal the bias of a law-finding judge in a multiplex society. The second duality of nature bridges what participants in the ordeal believe is happening and its operation in practice. This means that ordeal cannot readily be categorised as being formally irrational as Weber claims and instead bridges both formal irrationality and substantive irrationality.

中文翻译：

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立法，二元性和非理性：韦伯《经济与社会》中折磨的反思

摘要在《社会中的法律与经济》中，韦伯提出了通过折磨进行的审判，这是形式上非理性的原型。本文以古代近东到今天的折磨为例，对韦伯进行了批判，并认为对折磨操作的更细微的了解揭示了韦伯对折磨的理解中存在的缺陷和矛盾之处，因此他将现象分类为形式上不合理。折磨也是一种双重现象。人类和魔术宗教法官的第一方面是运用权力戏剧和灵巧的手法来掩盖多元化社会中发现法律的法官的偏见。自然的第二种双重性将折磨参与者认为正在发生的事情和其在实践中的运作联系起来。