Abstract: This article examines the problem of correlation and dialectical connection between the theories of social being and law in the works of the prominent philosophers of the XIX – XX centuries (Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx, Georges Gurvitch, Jean Baudrillard, Michel Foucault, Niklas Luhmann, Jürgen Habermas, and others) who worked at the intersection of several fields of social sciences and made significant contribution to the theory of state and law. These scholars predicted multiple problems of modernity; therefore, reference to their theoretical heritage is valuable in the search of new legal understanding, the need for which has existed for a long time. The scientific novelty consists in the analysis of views of the leading theoreticians who dealt with the correlation between law and social sciences. Social in the social sciences was often considered from the perspective of evolution of human relations. The essence of the social was revealed in various types of cohesion of population or connectedness between the members of social groups. In such relations, an important element was morality, which emerged much earlier than law. Morality emerged with the conception of the social, while law – only with the advent of the state. The classical social theories of the late XIX – early XX centuries, identified the concept of “society” mostly with the politically organized and territorially restricted society of the modern Western national state.

Keywords: Emile Durkheim, justice, statism, theory of law, social, dialectical relationship, social theory, Law, Michel Foucault, Jurgen Habermas

Abstract: The subject of this research is one of the trends in the American legal thought – legal realism in the context of clarification of its specificity, key theoretical-methodological perspectives formed in the classical period, represented by the founders of this direction O. W. Holmes, R. Pound and K. Llewellyn. Studying the heritage of the classical American realists is important for the purpose of elucidation of their views, since many aspects remain unclear or simplified, and interpreted in form of patterns and schemes; as well as due to the fact that in the modern American legal science and well beyond it, more popularity multiple variations of “clarification” of realism in form of “neo-“ versions, and realism itself is declared the symbol of modern age. Main attention is given to the question of overcoming simplifications with regards to legal views of the classical American realists. The scientific novelty of this work consists in elucidation of the perceptions of the nature and specificity of legal views of the representatives of classical American legal realism. This is primarily associated with the fact that orientation towards demythologization of conceptualism in the works of legal realists of the period of establishment of this trend is erroneously identified with the rejection of moral arguments in substantiation of law, which to a large extent was justified by the desire of some researchers to substantiate the meaning of radical pragmatism as a philosophical foundation of the modernized legal theory. Secondly, unjustified broadening of the concept of legal realism and its identification with naturalization of conceptual apparatus of law is one of the factors that led to multiple simplifications and distortions of the methodological importance of the fundamental principles of legal realism.

Keywords: criticism of conceptualism, Llewellyn, Pound, Holmes, ontologization of social experience, pragmatism, legal realism, legal morals, cultural purpose, legal values

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the theoretical understanding of the problem of ambiguity of the concept of “legal policy” as a complicated phenomenon that has a substantial number of attributes, which connect it with multiple occurrences within the legal sphere of social life and outside it; as well as overcoming such ambiguity through analyzing the diversity of characteristics of legal policy presented in the definitions of modern authors , and formation of the unified definition on their basis that would serve as methodological framework for the research of legal policy in all branches of juridical science. Research methodology includes the general scientific methods, such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, classification, and systemic approach. The author analyzes different points of view of the Russian scholars on formation of the concept of legal policy; describes their specific features; makes an attempt of their systematization. The conclusion is made on the presence of two different types of approaches towards determination of the content of legal policy. The author highlights most substantial characteristic suitable for both approaches, and offers an original version of a unified definition of legal policy of the state.

Keywords: jurisprudence, enforcement of regulations, lawmaking, legal policy of the state, policy, right, society, state, statehood, law

Abstract: The subject of this research is the problem of understanding and interpretation of the meaning and designation of one of the key concept of modern legal lexicon – “legitimacy”. Legitimacy became an attribute of the current scientific paradigm of legal thinking, because broadening the area of application, it is used as a certain standard of highest legality, often perplexing comprehension of the problems of legal theory, as on etymological level its leans only on one of the Latin versions of the word “legal”. In the same platitude, legitimate legality and legal legitimacy are a common tautology, which in the context of theory of law and philosophy of law, insistently dictates the necessity to clarify this term and definition. Research methodology suggests the analysis of the problem of legality-legitimacy from the perspective of differentiating legal and other disciplinary approaches: political scientific, sociological, etc. The novelty of this study consists in the problematic-critical analysis of the concept of “legitimacy” on the context of theory of law and philosophy of law. The conducted research demonstrates that the problem of legitimacy represents is a terminological substitution within the framework of legal-positivistic doctrine for the so-called not “purely” legal aspects: sociological, psychological, political scientific, and other. 

Keywords: rule of law, legality as a requirement, legality as a principle, legality as a method, concept of law, living law, legitimacy of legal norms, legitimacy, legality, legitimation

Abstract: The subject of this research is the problem of interpretation of continuity and novelty in carrying out historical-philosophical and problematic-theoretical reconstructions of legal doctrines of the past and modernity. The absence of due knowledge on the origin, history of acquisition and application of theoretical ideas of the past often leads to significant modifications, distortions and loss of historical linkage within the legal picture of the world. The repetition of legal ideas and theoretical constructs of the past is natural, but firstly it can and should be viewed as a methodological prerequisite for searching of approaches and means to substantiate the interests to certain aspects of law, and secondly, for ensuring scientific value of modern research, it must be clarified not by the conventionality of scientific knowledge, but based on the reconstruction of origin, application and valid meaning and designation of ideas. The methodology leans on the comparative analysis of legal ideas of the past and modernity in synchronic and diachronic angle. The novelty of the conducted research consists in interpretation of the problem of novelty in legal science based on the requirement for preservation of continuity in terms of their historical-philosophical and problematic-theoretical reconstruction. At the same time, such requirement reveals in a number of specific reconstructions and examples of utilization of methodological approaches for their conduct.

Keywords: legal norm, legal realism, recognition in law, novelty of the legal ideas, methods of legal philosophy, natural law, Stammler, Ihering, Bierling, Hart

Abstract: The subject of the study is one of the actively developing trends in Western legal thought over the past two decades, especially American, which is called "new legal realism" and positions itself both as a special variant of the "organizational paradigm of interdisciplinary research" and as a progressive empirical doctrine of law that overcomes the shortcomings of "traditional approaches to law".. The program of this direction is based on the idea of the possibility of effectively solving the problems of classical American legal realism by updating, first of all, the methodology of legal research. The study critically analyzes not only the content of the main ideas of the "new legal realists", but also an attempt to articulate the well-known developments of their predecessors, especially European ones, as a "new" direction in legal science. The methodology of the research is based on such methods of working with the ideas of foreign authors as the study of original texts, program statements (materials of conferences, symposiums and speeches), tracing the connection of past and modern teachings, analysis of involvement in the discussion of traditional issues and topics of legal issues. The conclusions of the essentially critical analysis of the content of the ideas of "new legal realism" are as follows: a narrowly focused behavioristic analysis of judicial activity with the pathos of the scale of the tasks being solved creates a paradox of the absence of a problem of law (even in the sense of classical realists) in the "new" legal doctrine; the methodology of "new realists" in the form of interdisciplinary practices and orientation to the analysis of "big arrays of data" is not something new, remaining within the framework of sociological approaches to law; manipulation of traditional legal issues leads to the reproduction and distortion of the ideas of predecessors.

Keywords: empirical studies of law, the concept of law, court decision, legal behaviorism, Holmes, Llewellyn, new legal realism, legal realism, interdisciplinarity, american legal thought

Abstract: The subject of this research is the states-predeterminations. The goal lies in studying the peculiarities of genesis, functionality and demise of the states-predeterminations. Among such peculiarities author highlights the factors of neighborhood, historical development, religious and ethnical components. Focus is made on the essence and specificities of cross effect of the states-predeterminations, considering the possibility of transformation of their actions for the good of their own interests. Major attention is given to the potential impact of the states-predeterminations upon establishment of the environment of peace and environment of war within current system of international relations. The author particularly examines the factors contributing to consolidation or disunity of the states-predeterminations; as well as justifies the need of influencing the relations between the countries, rather than the birth or demise of the states-predeterminations. The author substantiates the heightened attention of the states towards each other, underlining that it can weaken or increase at certain stages. The relations between the states-predestinations are characterizes by the significant sustainability, but may be vulnerable to fluctuation. As from the perspective of world politics, the major conflicts occur between the most significant actors, which are the states-predeterminations, the author emphasizes the need for giving careful attention to them. Lack of due attention to the work with such types of countries may result in the large-scale uncontrolled conflicts that have led to the world wars. This is related to the fact that under such circumstances, the states are bounded by a fine threat that may either improve the global political environment, or contribute to its failure.

Keywords: relations, great power, world power, conflicts, peace, war, state-predetermination, international relations, bilateral relations, world politics

Abstract: The subject of this research is the role of good faith in relational contracts and the key aspects of the theory of relation contracts adopted in common law countries. The research relies on the case law of England, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On the example of case law, the author attempts to elucidate the content of requirements of good faith in relational contracts, as well as bring forth a hypothesis of recognition of requirements of good faith conduct as an implied obligation for relational contracts. Moreover, this work demonstrates court rulings of English courts rejecting the connection with requirement of good faith in relational contracts and expresses the opinion that the process of search for place and role of requirements of good faith conduct in relational contracts is still ongoing. The main conclusion of the conducted research is the determination of the role and content of good faith in relational contracts, as well as description of the key concepts of the theory of relational contracts. The author presents demonstrative examples of court rulings of the common law countries, which establish a connection between good faith and relational contract, and set requirements for good faith conduct as an implied condition for long-term relational contracts.

Keywords: Canada, USA, England, precedent, law, relational, contract, good faith, New Zealand, Australia

Abstract: The subject of this research is the legal views of the representatives of early legal positivism, particularly John Austin. The goal lies in identification of the character of relation of legal concepts of positivism to the worldview foundations of the philosophy of law of Modern Era, namely the principles of rationalism. Examining the legal concept of John Austin, the author focuses attention on the aspects that demonstrate its dependence on the new-European philosophical-legal tradition. The article analyzes the category of divine law or principle of utility, which Austin implements as a extralegal criterion of the assessment of effective law, replacing the previous ideal criterion of natural law of the rationalistic doctrines. The ideas of legal positivism in the context of new-European philosophical tradition were analyzed with general orientation towards the system-structural approach. The study of the positivistic theory of law within the system of cultural and worldview processes of the turn of XVIII-XIX centuries, allows revealing its correlation with the major ideological trends of that time. Particularly, John Austin’s criticism of the natural legal concept can be interpreted as an echo of anti-metaphysical movement that originated in the philosophy of Enlightenment and developed in the philosophical A. Comte. A conclusion is made that the early legal positivism, refuting the metaphysical constructs in jurisprudence, remains faithful to the basic principles of the rationalistic worldview of Modern Era.  At the same time, reason in positivism is deprived of the status of sovereign source of natural law as a universal criterion of legal truth, and fulfils a purely instrumental role. Therefore, legal positivism manifests as a product of natural development of the new-European philosophy of law, rather than a crisis phenomenon.

Keywords: rationalism, Modern period, worldview, utilitarianism, principle of utility, natural law, philosophy of law, legal positivism, historicism, historical school of law

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the biographical path of the prominent Russian and Soviet legal scholar and social psychologist M. A. Reisner and his contribution to Leon Petrazycki’s psychological theory of law. Biography of the scholar is viewed in the context of his socio-philosophical pursuits and transformation of his outlook. The main attention is given to the synthesis of Marxist and psychological theory of law, as it became the key area for M. A. Reisner’s scientific pursuits. The study refers to the comparative aspect, draw parallels between the theories of L. Petrazycki and M. A. Reisner, indicating their similarities and inconsistencies. The basic research method lies in the analysis of the scholar’s doctrinal contribution to the psychological theory of law, examination of his autobiography and works of other researchers, who left valuable reminiscences about M. A. Reisner. The scholar scrupulously worked at the development of the concept of intuitive law and its transformation into the positive law, as well as substantiation of the proletariat's right to revolution. However, some of his conclusions cause reasonable doubt. Particularly, in the context of modern legal consciousness, the subject of law is an individual rather than a social community (class), which M. A. Reisner believed was fair. The author emphasizes Reisner’s great contribution into the study of socio-psychological basis of law. Despite a certain idealism of his works, the scientific contribution of M. A. Reisner manifests as the brightest layer of the national science on law, which was and remains of great relevance due to lack of research conducted on its multiple aspects.

Keywords: positive law, intuitive law, class, psychological theory of law, revolution, marxism, emotion, experience, will, ideology

Abstract: The apprehended from philosophical thought by the national law idea of good faith or bona fides is traditionally and inevitably featured in civil circulation regardless of jurisdiction. The Western doctrine of law enforcement practice formulates various approaches towards bona fides through which it is enshrined in the national legal orders. As a principle that coordinates the private legal relations, bona fides is legally enshrined in legal system of the countries of continental and common law. The goal of this article lies in description of the content of essential elements (structure) of bona fides presented in the Western European and American legal doctrine, as well as the law of obligations of France, Germany, United States and England. As a legal concept, bona fides has become firmly established in the law of obligations of the majority of European countries and has objective grounds. The author examines the similarities and differences between the concepts of good faith among the related legal systems, determines the fundamental distinctions in understanding of the structure of such principle between the countries of common and continental law, as well as its role in the modern private law.

Keywords: France, Germany, obligation in relationship, common law, continental law, principle, concept, good faith, England, the USA

Abstract: This article presents research of the concepts, essence and legal nature of investment contracts on the example of Russia and China. The author offers a multifaceted complex research of this concept from the position of international and national laws, including civil and administrative laws. The accent is made on the fact that it has situational interpretation and depends on other conditions of activity that is contractually formalized. The novelty of this research is justified by determination of the characteristics of an investment contract from the position of the complex approach, which considers representation of internationalists, as well as civilists and administrationists in conjuction with the analysis of practicle examples of investment interaction between Russia and China from the positions of modernity and retrospect. The author determines that investment cooperation between Russia and China is currently largely based on intergovernmental agreements and framework agreements for providing equipment, rendering services, construction, organizational support, personnel training, etc..

Keywords: civil law, legal nature, international law, intergovernmental agreements, China, Russia, investment contract, investments, administrative law, cases

Abstract: The relevance of this research is justified by the difficulties in definition of the legal status of a multi-family residential building in the modern legal theory and legislation. The change in the current approaches is especially relevant in the context of the launch of the renovation of the residential areas in Moscow. The subject of this research is the legal status of multi-family buildings as an object of property right. The author examines the doctrinal approaches towards determination of the legal status of multi-family residences, exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. Special accent is made on the position, according to which a multi-family residence represent a single unit of real estate. A conclusion is made on the impossibility of application of the Integral Real Estate Complex legal regime by the interpretation of the current civil code, and requires designation of the category of residential property complex. The author formulates the concept of residential property complex and highlights the key features distinguishing it from the Integral Real Estate Complex. The main conclusion is the recognition of the imperfection of the current approaches towards the legal regulation of multi-family residential buildings as the objects of civil law. The author advances that a multi-family residence should be recognized as a single real estate unit, for which the category of “residential property complex” is being proposed. Formalization of this concept in Russian legislation would allow recognition of a multi-family residence as an abject of property right.

Keywords: real estate, critical analysis, conveyance of multi-family house, single immovable complex, right of property, property, civil law, multi-family house, accommodation, shared ownership

Abstract: The subject of this research is the problem of genesis and disciplinary formation of the “General Theory of Law”, the appearance of which was associated with the name of the prominent German legal expert Adolf Merkel (1836-1896).  The “General Theory of Law” represented an original disciplinary version of the philosophy of positive law, on one hand contributing into the revival of the philosophy of law in form of positive law, while on the other, having attempted to eliminate the difference between positive and suprapositive law, became the “euthanasia” for the classical philosophy of law. The originality of Merkel’s position consisted in the fact that he posed a direct question about the disciplinary correlation of the philosophy of law and positive jurisprudence, suggesting the genuine explanation of the role of the philosophy of law as a “general part of jurisprudence”. Merkel’s interpretation of the aforementioned problematic was inspired by the political legal theory of his mentor Jhering. The scientific novelty is defined by the fact that this work explores the little-studied problematic of genesis and program orientation towards the “general theory of law”, which as a disciplinary form, remains topical in the area of legal study and legal consciousness. The research demonstrates that Merkel’s position that devaluated the importance of classical philosophy of law, was considerably the development of the scientific agenda of Jhering.

Keywords: Social justification of law, General concepts of law, Structural functional analysis, Task of the philosophy of law, Philosophy of positive law, Positivism, Theory of law, Philosophy of law, Jhering, Merkel

Abstract: The subject of this research is the political legal views of the German lawyer who supported the Nazi regime Otto Rilk upon the German competition law. The author examines O. Rilk’s attitude towards the objects protected by competition law, unfair competition, sources of legal regulation of the competition law, “Jewish impact” on competition law. The article explores the key aspects of seeing the issues of protecting competitiveness through the prism of ideology of the German National Socialism, as well as analyzes Rilk’s directives on expanding the discretional powers in the area of enforcing legal responsibility for unfair competition, and unification of law enforcement practice. This article is first within the Russian historical legal science to examine the Nazi totalitarian approach towards the problems of legal regulation of competition. Views of Rilk on competition law sought taking the legal protection of the whole, rather than the private to the absolute. Even when he spoke on protection of consumer rights, he implied protection of the entirety of German consumers from European traders, and not protection of private interests. The author reveals the connection between racism and anti-Semitism as system-forming elements of the Nazi ideology with the doctrine of competition law. A conclusion is made on the archaic, incompatible with the market economy views of Rilk on the competition law.

Keywords: general clause, law enforcement, unfair competition, Jewish impact, advertising, competitive law, legal regulation, enterprise, traders, sale

Abstract: The subject of this research is the problem of interpretation of the notion of law, as well as formation of methodological approaches towards its substanuation in the legal doctrine of Marburg Neo-Kantian – Rudolf Stammler, who introduced interpretation of law as a “natural law with the variable content” and formulation of the concept of “right law”.  The core construct of Stammler’s entire intellectual activity lies in the problem of cognizing law as the central and leading factor of social development. The specific features of Stammler’s legal consciousness manifest in the original modification of R. Jhering’s teleological concept from the perspective of formal-rationalistic (Kantian) philosophy. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that the initial hypothesis of the study on the meaningful impact of legal views of R. Jhering upon the establishment of legal doctrine of R. Stammler, particularly the concrete theoretical and methodological approaches towards analysis of the category of “legal concept”, as well as methods of substantiation of the “right law” concept, was confirmed by the results of examination of the original compilation texts of the thinkers and specific comparable concepts of their teachings.

Keywords: Method of substantiation of law, Goal, Right law, Idea of law, Teleological concept of law, Kant, Legal content, Concept of law, Jhering, Stammler

Abstract: The subject of this research is the question of succession and novelty of Jhering’s teaching on law that ie examined from the perspective of ideological origins in Hegel’s philosophy. Among the philosophical and jurisprudential schools and disciplines, which significantly affected the establishment and transformation of Jhering’s legal understanding, the decisive role belonged to the entire philosophical system of Hegel, including philosophy of law, history, religion, and logic. Historical legal studies usually point at the very fact of influence of Hegelian philosophy upon the formation of Jhering’s legal worldview, leaving aside such important aspect as: which specific logical and conceptual constructs were critically and non-critically interpreted by Jhering; character and level of such influence; which meaning carried Hegel’s philosophy for the formation of Jhering’s teaching on law. The scientific novelty of this work consists in determination and description of the direct impact of Hegel’s philosophy upon the establishment and transformation of the legal worldview of Jhering at various stages of his creative path. The conducted research allowed proving the original hypothesis that Hegel’s philosophy at times had stronger effect that the historical school of law in development of Jhering’s legal understanding. Identification of the separate successive features in Jhering’s legal understanding with regards to Hegelian philosophy pointed at the elements of novelty in accordance with Jhering’s expression – “enrichment of jurisprudence using philosophical legal means”.

Keywords: Dialectics of goal, Dialectics of development, Idea of law, Reality, Realization of law, Law as idea, Philosophy of law, Notion of law, Hegel, Jhering

Abstract: The subject of this research is the question of succession and novelty of Jhering’s teaching on law that ie examined from the perspective of ideological origins in Hegel’s philosophy. Among the philosophical and jurisprudential schools and disciplines, which significantly affected the establishment and transformation of Jhering’s legal understanding, the decisive role belonged to the entire philosophical system of Hegel, including philosophy of law, history, religion, and logic. Historical legal studies usually point at the very fact of influence of Hegelian philosophy upon the formation of Jhering’s legal worldview, leaving aside such important aspect as: which specific logical and conceptual constructs were critically and non-critically interpreted by Jhering; character and level of such influence; which meaning carried Hegel’s philosophy for the formation of Jhering’s teaching on law. The article analyzes the views of Hegel and Jhering on the meaning of compulsion, as well as struggle and interests as the factors of legal understanding and legal cognition. The scientific novelty of this work consists in determination and description of the direct impact of Hegel’s philosophy upon the establishment and transformation of the legal worldview of Jhering at various stages of his creative path. The conducted research allowed proving the original hypothesis that Hegel’s philosophy at times had stronger effect that the historical school of law in development of Jhering’s legal understanding. Identification of the separate successive features in Jhering’s legal understanding with regards to Hegelian philosophy pointed at the elements of novelty in accordance with Jhering’s expression – “enrichment of jurisprudence using philosophical legal means”. The author substantiates a conclusion that the theoretical foundation of the constructs of Jhering’s legal theory on the concept of compulsion, struggle and interests consists in the corresponding ideas of Hegel’s philosophical doctrine.

Keywords: Development of law , Struggle for law, Living standards of society, Struggle , Realization of law, Interests , Concept of law, Compulsion , Hegel, Jhering

Abstract: This article examines the question of determination of the typological affiliation of R. Jhering’s legal understanding, which is associated with the contradictory, antithetical, and often ambiguous interpretation of the character and type of legal worldview of the thinker. One of the significant reasons for various interpretations of Jhering’s legal understanding is the fact that his work was very dynamic, and the manner of presentation of the legal views notable for the substantial stylistic distinction: vast amount of metaphors, frequent textual hyperbolization of separate moments (as for example, struggle form law, state compulsion, etc.). The article reviews the following aspects: key signs of Jhering’s legal understanding, including due to the further development of separate directions of the political legal thought; question of differentiation of law and legislation within Jhering’s legal theory; and formulated by Jhering definition of law. The scientific novelty consists in the conclusion on typologization of Jhering’s legal doctrine as an empirical and sociological juridical positivism, which integrated the original sociological approach to law based on the empirical analytical cognition and interpretation of law, as well as the positivistic interpretation of the role of state recognition of the established by society legal norms.

Keywords: Ethical minimum, Justice, Anti-positivism, State compulsion, Legal goal, Living standards of society, Juridical positivism, Sociological approach, Type of legal understanding, Jhering

Abstract: The subject of this research is the formulated in the early 1870’s R. Jhering’s concept of the struggle for law, which was the quintessence of the key ideas and constructs of the thinker’s legal understanding developed during the preceding period. The aforementioned concept established the final transition of Jhering towards the empirical-sociological legal positivism. In the concept of the struggle for law, Jhering formulated the original theory of social development and social changes, which is promoted and driven by law. The structure of the concept examines the following key components: perception of law as a practical notion; participation of each individual in the progress of law; and determination of the ethical and spiritual-moral motive as the most significant among all the motives of realization of law. The originality and novelty with regards to Jhering’s development of legal understanding, consists in elevation of the subjective law to the attribute of personal dignity. The concept of the struggle for law remains relevant in the modern political-legal literature and practice. The scientific novelty of this work lies in determination and interpretation of the main components of Jhering’s concept on the struggle for law in the context of progression of his legal views, formation of his style of creative philosophizing, empirical-sociological perception, as well as discussion of law. The concept of the struggle for law is views as a theoretically substantiated model of social development and social changes by the virtue of law and active participation of the contemporaries in realization and advancement of law.

Keywords: Realization of law, Idea of law, Moral self-assertion, Progress of law, Social development, Interests, Evolution of law, Jhering, Legal sense, Struggle for law

Abstract: The subject of this research is the legal teaching of Jhering reviewed from the perspective of formation and application of the original methodology of legal knowledge and legal understanding, which articulated the sociological orientation of the thinker’s legal outlook. The peculiarity of Jhering’s methodology of legal teaching consisted in paradigmatic ideology of social realism oriented towards the general cultural positivistic ideology, according to which the society and its development was considered based on the image and likeness of the natural sciences. Due to this fact, Jhering substantiated and implemented within the legal knowledge and legal understanding the methods of structural functional and empirical analytical examination of law alongside the factors of social development, the principal of which was law. In addition, the article explores the meaning of the “jurisprudence of notions” in establishment of sociologically oriented methodology of Jhering’s legal teaching. The scientific novelty consists in research of the methodological foundation of Jhering’s sociologically oriented legal teaching. The author demonstrates the actual meaning of the “jurisprudence of notions” in ideological and methodological formation of Jhering’s original sociological approach to law. A position is substantiated that Jhering was the first legal expert, who prior to the conceptual arrangement of the structural functional analysis in sociology, has applied this method towards the analysis of law, as a social phenomenon that is determined and verified by the social reality.

Keywords: Legal definition, Empirical analytical method, Structural functional analysis, Empirical experience, Legal reality, Living standards of society, Social realism, Jurisprudence of notions, Sociological approach, Jhering

Abstract: This article explores the outlook of the accomplished representative of Narodniks movement P. N. Tkachev upon the law and state in genetic and ontological regard. The subject of this research is the regularities and peculiarities of genesis and evolution of the thinker’s ideas on the essence of law with reference to the entire assemblage of knowledge of the modern general theory of law and political science. The author carefully examines the philosophical-worldview and theoretical-legal foundations of P. N. Tkachev’s views upon the origin and concept of state and law, their genetic, functional, and value characteristics. A special methodological accent is made on the systemic and comparative approach towards the research of P. N. Tkachev’s heritage. The fundamental conclusion of the conducted research consists in the thesis that distinct feature of Tkachev’s legal consciousness is the interpretation of the essence of law as the power of state coercion, which systematically finds its practical realization in legal order. Tkachev associates law, by its origin, with the interest realized by the dominant classes in legislation through the abilities of the state. The author underlines that Tkachev alongside the founders of Marxism have identical views upon the nature of law.

Keywords: primitive communal system, Marxism, philosophy, genesis, evolution, state, law, Narodniks, Socialism, authority