惩罚与激励相伴而生,激励功能是惩罚性赔偿制度应有的一项重要功能。惩罚性赔偿制度的目的之一就是吓阻经营者选择侵犯他人权益的行为模式,从而促使社会资源配置趋近最优化的选择。在惩罚性赔偿的语境下,激励与遏制之间存在一定的张力关系。观念上难以认同、制度设计不合理、实践效果未能令人满意是激励功能未得到重视和发挥的原因。对赔偿数额的合理考量、适用范围的扩大、举证成本的降低、过错的合理认定是惩罚性赔偿制度的激励功能有效发挥的制度性要素。
Punishment and stimulation in law are twins. Stimulation is one of the important functions of punitive damages mechanism. One objective of the current punitive damages mechanism is to discourage businesses to oper- ate in a way which would infringe upon third parties' rights, therefore encourages maximization of the allocation of social resources. However, within the present punitive damages mechanism, stimulation and deterrence are at odds. Conceptual denial, poor mechanism design, unsatisfactory effects are the reasons that the stimulative function of punitive damages has not which include expanding the performed or has been neglected. To improve it, institutional reforms are needed, operative scope, lowering the burden of proof, and reasonable determination of fault.