Modern Science of Law Is in a Deplorable State
As early as the 19th century, outstanding German philosopher Immanuel Kant asserted that legal scholars were still searching for a definition of the concept of “law” and had yet to reach a consensus.
In fact, the same point was made by the eminent Polish jurist, founder of the psychological theory of law, and graduate of the Imperial University of St. Volodymyr in Kyiv, Lev Yosypovych Petrazhytskyi (Pol. Leon Petrażycki – Transl.) who at the beginning of the last century asserted that modern legal science is in an extremely deplorable state.
And today, we can state the fact that even in the 21st century, lawyers are still searching for a universally accepted concept of “law” and have still not reached a consensus.
At the same time, resolving this issue has not only purely theoretical but also significant practical importance.
One of the fundamental principles of the Constitution of Ukraine is the principle of the rule of law, and given that the provisions of the Constitution are directly applicable, every judge, prosecutor, and attorney must correctly understand the essence of this principle; otherwise, they will be unable to apply it in the course of their professional activities.
A correct understanding of this principle is also of great importance for lawmakers, since the normative legal acts they adopt must comply with the Constitution of Ukraine.
Resolving this issue is also of great importance at the international legal level, especially in the context of a global political and legal crisis.
While the brightest minds of humanity are still searching for a universally accepted definition of “law,” we invite you to explore a collection of works by the famous scholar and founder of the psychological theory of law, Lev Yosypovych Petrazhytskyi, recently published by “Dakor” Publishing House.
We hope that every reader, having familiarized themselves with this outstanding scholar’s point of view, will be able to broaden his/her horizons and apply this knowledge in professional practice.
Oleh Bereziuk,
Institute for Global Politics
