scholarly journals Hart's Methodological Positivism

Legal Theory ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Perry
Keyword(s):  
General Theory ◽  
Natural Law ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Legal Positivism ◽  
Social Phenomenon ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
Theory Of Law ◽  
Michael Moore

To understand H.L.A. Hart's general theory of law, it is helpful to distinguish between substantive and methodological legal positivism. Substantive legal positivism is the view that there is no necessary connection between morality and the content of law. Methodological legal positivism is the view that legal theory can and should offer a normatively neutral description of a particular social phenomenon, namely law. Methodological positivism holds, we might say, not that there is no necessary connection between morality and law, but rather that there is no connection, necessary or otherwise, between morality and legal theory. The respective claims of substantive and methodological positivism are, at least on the surface, logically independent. Hobbes and Bentham employed normative methodologies to defend versions of substantive positivism, and in modern times Michael Moore has developed what can be regarded as a variant of methodological positivism to defend a theory of natural law.

On the Artifactual—and Natural— Character of Legal Institutions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corrado Roversi
Keyword(s):  
Natural Law ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Legal Positivism ◽  
Legal Institutions ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Legal Realism ◽  
Natural Law Theory ◽  
The Law ◽  
Theory Of Law

Are legal institutions artifacts? If artifacts are conceived as entities whose existence depends on human beings, then yes, legal institutions are, of course, artifacts. But an artifact theory of law makes a stronger claim, namely, that there is actually an explanatory gain to be had by investigating legal institutions as artifacts, or through the features of ordinary artifacts. This is the proposition explored in this chapter: that while this understanding of legal institutions makes it possible to find common ground between legal positivism and legal realism, it does not capture all of the insights offered by these two traditions. An artifact theory of law can therefore be necessary in explaining the law, but it will not suffice to that end. This chapter also posits that legal artifacts bear a relevant connection to certain conceptions of nature, thus vindicating one of the original insights behind natural law theory.

scholarly journals General Principles of EU Law: The Ghost in the Platonic Heaven in Need of Conceptual Clarification

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Constanze Semmelmann
Keyword(s):  
Natural Law ◽  
General Principle ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Legal Positivism ◽  
Legal Philosophy ◽  
Eu Law ◽  
Conceptual Clarification

General principles are en vogue in EU law – and in need of conceptual clarification. A closer look at several concepts of principle in legal philosophy and legal theory sheds light upon the concept of general principles in EU law. A distinction between an aprioristic model of principle and a model of principle informed by legal positivism may contribute to clarifying the genesis of a (general) principle in EU law, as well as its nature and functions. This paper demonstrates that an evolution has taken place from a reliance on seemingly natural law inspired reflections of general principles via the desperate search to ground general principles in various kinds of sources based on a more or less sound methodology  towards an increasing reliance on strictly positivistic approaches. Against this backdrop, general principles are likely to lose significance where there are other norms while retaining an important yet uncontrollable role where the traditional canon of sources is silent.

Planning Positivism and Planning Natural Law

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Jay Stone
Keyword(s):  
Present State ◽  
Natural Law ◽  
Legal Positivism ◽  
Planning Theory ◽  
Positive Law ◽  
Theory Of Law

Scott Shapiro offers an elaboration and defense of “legal positivism,” in whichthe official acceptance of a planfigures as the central explanatory notion. Rich in both ambition and insight,Legalitycasts an edifying new light on the structure of positive law and its officialdom. As a defense of positivism, however, it exhibits the odd feature that its main claims will prove quite acceptable to the natural lawyer. Perhaps this betokens – what many have begun to suspect anyway – that our usual tests for classifying legal theories (as positivist or not) are, in the present state of discussion, no longer credible. In any case, my hope in the following remarks is to suggest how certain ambiguities inLegalitymight easily be resolved in favor of PlanningNatural Law. The Planning Theory of Law, in other words, is not proprietary to positivism.

Natural Law

2019 ◽  
pp. 174-203
Author(s):  
Lenn E. Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Natural Law ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Natural Theology ◽  
Human Freedom ◽  
Naturalistic Fallacy ◽  
Legal Positivism ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Theology And Science ◽  
Great Tradition

Natural law links moral and legal theory with natural theology and science. It is critical to thinking about God’s sovereignty and human freedom. Tracing the roots of the natural law idea, I defend the approach against conventionalism and legal positivism. For they leave human norms ungrounded. Chapter 7 opens by disarming Hume’s elenchus about ‘is’ and ‘ought’. I do not deny the reality of a naturalistic fallacy, but I do argue that facts make rightful claims on us and that the unity of reality and value central to Jewish thinking and to the philosophical great tradition does not confuse facts with values but does appreciate the preciousness of being—of life and personhood most pointedly. Once again here transcendence consorts with immanence. For we find God’s law writ subtly in nature, not least when we discover what it means to perfect ourselves as loving and creative human beings.

Choosing a Legal Theory on Moral Grounds

1986 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Soper
Keyword(s):  
Natural Law ◽  
Moral Theory ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Moral Authority ◽  
Legal Positivism ◽  
The Other ◽  
Law And Morality ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Practical Implications

I. INTRODUCTIONTwenty-five years is roughly the time that has elapsed since the exchange between H. L. A. Hart and Lon Fuller and the subsequent revival in this country of the natural law/positivism debate. During this time, a curious thing has happened to legal positivism. What began as a conceptual theory about the distinction between law and morality has now been turned, at least by some, into a moral theory. According to this theory, the reason we must see law and morality as separate is not (at least not entirely) because of the logic of our language, but because of the practical implications of holding one or the other of the two traditional views in this area. The natural law theorist, it is said, can connect law and morality only at the cost of investing official directives with undeserved moral authority, thus encouraging obedience where there should be none. The natural law position should therefore be rejected – and the positivist's accepted – on moral grounds.

scholarly journals Mapping Legal Theory

1994 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard F. Devlin
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Natural Law ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Legal Positivism ◽  
Legal Realism ◽  
Canadian Charter ◽  
Social Existence ◽  
Legal Studies ◽  
Recent Trends

In this essay, the author briefly outlines recent trends in Canadian jurisprudence. Beginning with a brief overview of the classical jurisprudential debate between natural lawyers, legal positivists, and legal realists, the author then provides an introduction to a new theoretical tradition which he terms "Artifactualism", as well as a survey of contemporary "Artifactualist Jurisprudence". He argues that there has been a significant theoretical shift away from the classical conceptualization of law as morality (as embodied in natural law, and challenged by legal positivism and legal realism), toward the conceptualization of law as politics (as promulgated by artifactualism). This new conceptualization of law as the "terrain of struggle over the meaning and quality of social existence" has informed the works of Artifactualist jurisprudents in the areas of Liberalism, Marxism, Feminism, First Nations and Critical Legal Studies, and serves to elucidate some of the tensions in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

scholarly journals El problema de la relación entre derecho y moral

2021 ◽  
pp. 65-80
Author(s):  
José Luis López Fuentes
Keyword(s):  
Natural Law ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Legal Positivism ◽  
Ronald Dworkin ◽  
Law And Morality ◽  
The Relationship

RESUMEN: En el presente trabajo, con base en las teorías iusnaturalistas y del positivismo jurídico, se busca ofrecer un breve acercamiento al desarrollo que han tenido a través del tiempo las tesis más importantes en torno al problema de la relación entre derecho y moral, hasta llegar a lo que actualmente es denominado antipositivismo jurídico, pues el objetivo de este documento es presentar un análisis y exposición de las aportaciones de esta corriente de pensamiento a la teoría jurídica contemporánea, para lo cual, se analizan las propuestas de Ronald Dworkin y Robert Alexy, en especial de la tesis de los principios, y su relevancia en la interpretación y aplicación de la ley.ABSTRACT: In this work, based on natural law theories and legal positivism, I seek to offer a brief approach  to the development that the most important theses have had throughout time regarding the problem of the relationship between law and morality, arriving at what we now call legal anti-positivism, the objective of this document is to present an analysis and exposition of the contributions of this current of thought to contemporary legal theory, for which the proposals of Ronald Dworkin and Robert Alexy are analyzed, specially the thesis of the principles, and its relevance in the interpretation and application of the law.Keywords: Natural law theories, legal positivism, legal antipositivism, moral, thesis of principles.

scholarly journals Doctrinal basis of the Soviet law science —epistemological and praxeological dimensions

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Evgeni A. Apolski ◽  
Andrei Yu. Mordovtsev ◽  
Aleksei Yu. Mamychev
Keyword(s):  
General Theory ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Theoretical Knowledge ◽  
Legal Knowledge ◽  
Philosophy Of Law ◽  
Legal Thought ◽  
History Of ◽  
Theory Of Law ◽  
Further Development

The article considers the Soviet dissertation theoretical and legal doctrines as a scientific category with a set of specific features. The author draws attention to the fact that the massive layer of legal theoretical knowledge known as Soviet jurisprudence and the legal teachings reflecting the evolution of Soviet law are insufficiently studied in ontological and epistemological terms. In specific, the role, place, and significance of Soviet dissertation legal theoretical teachings are lacking in the literature. Moreover, the Marxist methodology of legal knowledge, which should be used in modern educational and scientific space, lacks clear assessment. The author analyzes the most important thesis on the theory of law, which reflect the ontological and methodological foundations of the Soviet law and legal theory presented in the theses. This article lays the basis and the vector of further development of Soviet jurisprudence. These dissertation doctrines are analyzed to further use them in the scientific research of laws and trends in the development of Soviet legal thought. The results of these analyses are crucial for the history of political and legal doctrines, general theory of law, and philosophy of law and can be used in other areas of legal (including industry) science, considering their interdisciplinary heuristic potential.

scholarly journals Philosophical and Legal Foundations of the Comprehensive Theory of Law

wisdom ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-231
Author(s):  
Sergey ZAKHARTSEV ◽  
Viktor SALNIKOV
Keyword(s):  
Legal Theory ◽  
Social Phenomenon ◽  
Comprehensive Theory ◽  
Legal Foundations ◽  
The Law ◽  
Theory Of Law ◽  
Comprehensive Study

The article is devoted to the clarification of the essence of the law. The article examines the ontology of law, and the epistemology of law reflects the philosophical problems of law. The conclusion about the law as a contradictory social phenomenon is formulated. The article substantiates the theory of the comprehensive (all-encompassing) study of law as a philosophical and philosophical-legal theory, the purpose of which is characterized not in the justification of any one theory of law but in the comprehensive study of law, taking into account all available theories. The comprehensive theory allows us to look at the law philosophically, stating the different properties of the object, their manifestations and contradictions. The article argues that it is the philosophical attitude to the law that many scientists lack.

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