Nature And Schools Of Jurisprudence An Overview

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INTRODUCTION

Jurisprudence is often defined as “the theoretical study of law”, which emerged to facilitate more deeper and sophisticated understanding of the legal principles. The term “Jurisprudence” has been derived from the Latin word “juris prudential”, meaning the study or science of law. Scholars in this field aim to eradicate the nature and the scope of law. In the current scenario, jurisprudence play a vital role as it aids judges and lawyer in comprehending the foundational aspects of law, enabling them to administer justice effectively. It serves as a crucial guide for the proper interpretation of the legal text. Often referred to as the ‘eyes of the law”, jurisprudence ensures that individuals who commit crimes are appropriately punished according to legal principles. Historically, jurisprudence gained prominence in the 18th century when study of law began to be categorized into civil law, natural law and the law of action . I explore the fundamental question about law, such as what it is, why it exists, and how it operates. Jurisprudence is essential for understanding legal system and the practice of law. ==

Nature of jurisprudence ==

Jurisprudence the philosophy of science of law is persuasive and multifaceted, encompassing various branches that provide detail understanding of the law and its various branches. Each branches have its own focus and methodology and provide detail understanding of its subject matter. They are as follows:

1) DESCRIPTIVE JURISPRUDENCE: It focuses on the objectively analysing and describing the law as it exists, examining legal structure, processes, institution, and practices within the legal system without imposing any judgements or prescriptions . Its purpose is providing a clear, unbiased understanding of the existing legal system and create a comprehensive framework for understanding how law operates in the society.

2) NORMATIVE JURISPRUDENCE: it deals with the question of what the law ought to be and explores the ethical and moral foundations of law and assess whether the laws are just, fair and equitable . Its main purpose is to critique and improve legal system based on the ethical principles and ensure that laws contribute to the overall good of the society and protect the individual rights.

3) ANALYTICAL JURISPRUDENCE: It is also known as the legal positivism, and it aims defines and understand the nature of law itself through a detailed analysis of the legal concept and language, often separating legal consideration from the moral ones . Its main purpose is to provide a precise and systematic understanding of the legal concept and to clarify the nature and boundaries of law as an autonomous discipline.

4) CRITICAL JURISPRUDENCE: It includes movement like critical legal studies and feminist jurisprudence that critique traditional legal theories and practices. It often highlights issues of power, inequality and social justice examining how law perpetuates or challenges the issue . Its purpose is revealed and challenge the biases and inequalities prevalent in the legal system and promote a more just and equitable society through critical examination and reform of legal practices.

The nature of the jurisprudence is multifaceted, encompassing descriptive, normative, analytical and critical approaches. Each of these branches offer a valuable insight into different aspect of the law, from its structures and functions to its ethical dimensions and societal impact. It helps in the overall development of the society. It increases the lawyer’s and ability to think logically, it gives philosophy, ethical and morality. They provide a detail understanding of the law and how it can critique and reformed to better serve justice and equity.

School of Jurisprudence = = =

The following are the school of jurisprudence:

1.NATURAL LAW SCHOOL: It holds that there are universal moral principles that serves as a higher law. These principles are inherent in the human resources or the divine will, which can be discovered through reason. These principles from the basis of the valid laws and human made law that contradict these principles is invalid. Therefore, legal systems should strive to align with these transcendent moral norms.

Associated thinkers are Thomas Aquinas, John Finnis, and Lon Fuller.

2. LEGAL POSITIVISM: its core idea is that it is fundamentally a matter of social fact and convention, and not moral merit. Further the validity of law depends on its being enacted by recognised authority according to established procedures. It separates "is" from "ought" , it holds that the law is a set of rules and norms created by a legitimate authority.

Associated thinkers are John Austin, H.L.A. Hart, and Hans Kelsen.

3. LAW AND ECONOMICS: The law and economics school apply concepts and methods of economic theory to legal problems to analyses and understand law in terms of incentives, costs, and efficiency. It favours legal rules that maximise aggregate social welfare and minimise transaction costs.

Associated thinkers are Richard Posner, Ronald Coase, and Guido Calabresi.

4.CRITICAL LEGAL STUDIES: Influenced by Marxist and postmodern theory, it emphasises how law reflects and reinforces social hierarchies and power dynamics and focuses on issues of race, class, gender, and other axes of identity and aims to expose ideological biases and distributional consequences of seemingly neutral legal rules.

Associated thinkers are Roberto Unger, Duncan Kennedy, and Catharine MacKinnon.

5. FEMINIST JURISPRUDENCE: It examines how law has historically excluded or marginalised women's experiences and perspectives. And further advocates for legal reforms that take seriously the distinctive challenges and needs of women that addresses issues like employment discrimination, sexual violence, and reproductive rights. It spans liberal, radical, and intersectional approaches

Associated thinkers are Martha Chamallas, Catharine MacKinnon, and Kimberlé Crenshaw

6.LEGAL PRAGMATISM: also known as the legal realism, it challenges the idea that the law is a set of rules applied by judges. And emphasises practical consequences of legal rules over formal coherence or moral pedigree. Further favours flexibility, experimentalism, and policy-oriented reasoning and focuses on what works best in each context.

Associated thinkers are Richard Posner, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., and Benjamin Cardozo.

7. VIRTUE JURISPRUDENCE: It is grounded in Aristotelian virtue ethics and focuses on character and moral dispositions of legal actors, not just outward conduct and asks what qualities define a virtuous judge, lawyer, or citizen. It further considers how law can cultivate and sustain these virtues.

Associated thinkers are Lawrence Solum, Rosalind Hursthouse, and Antony Duff.

Conclusion

Jurisprudence provides a critical framework for understanding the complex nature of law and its role in society. By exploring different schools of thought, scholars and practitioners can gain deeper insights into the development, application, and impact of legal systems. Each school offers unique perspectives, enriching the overall understanding of legal phenomena and contributing to the evolution of legal theory and practice.

CITATION

1.Subodh Asthana.Schools of Jurisprudence. Available at:[1].

2.Hart, H.L.A. The Concept of Law. Oxford University Press, 1961. Available at:[2].

3.Dworkin, Ronald. Law's Empire. Harvard University Press, 1986. Available at: [3] .

4.Hart, H.L.A. The Concept of Law. Oxford University Press, 1961. Available at:[4].

5.Murphy, Jeffrie G., and Jules L. Coleman. The Philosophy of Law: An Introduction to Jurisprudence. Oxford University Press, 1984. Available at:[5] .

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  13. ↑ https://archive.org/details/philosophyoflawi00murp" rel="nofollow https://archive.org/details/philosophyoflawi00murp
  14. ↑ https://blog.ipleaders.in/schools-jurisprudence-thinkers/" rel="nofollow https://blog.ipleaders.in/schools-jurisprudence-thinkers/
  15. ↑ https://archive.org/details/conceptoflaw0000unse/mode/2up" rel="nofollow https://archive.org/details/conceptoflaw0000unse/mode/2up
  16. ↑ https://archive.org/details/conceptoflaw0000unse/mode/2up" rel="nofollow https://archive.org/details/conceptoflaw0000unse/mode/2up

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