To the question on philosophical-methodological foundations of English legal positivism of the XIX century (legal teachings of J. Bentham and J. Austin)

Abstract

The subject of this research is the  aggregate of philosophical ideas and methodological paradigms that underlie the concepts of the “first” legal (statist) positivism in England of the XIX century. The author traces the impact of certain philosophical trends and legal concepts of the XVIII – early XIX centuries upon the philosophical and methodological foundations of the positivist concepts of J. Bentham and J. Austin. The article describes the influence of social atomism, and exploratory rationality of Modern Age upon the “first” legal positivism of philosophical rationalism of the XVIII century. The impact of such philosophical and legal concepts as nominalism, the historical school of lawyers, and philosophical positivism of A. Comte upon the “first” legal positivism was reconstructed. The scientific novelty consists in reconstruction of the influence of an entire number of philosophical and legal ideas and concepts upon the development of “first” legal positivism. Correlation between the legal doctrine of J. Bentham, philosophical concepts of the XVIII century, and the legal teaching of T. Hobbes is underlined. The author draws the ideological parallels between the philosophical nominalism, logical paradox of D. Hume, and legal doctrines of J. Bentham and J. Austin. The author reveals the key “channels” of the impact of German Historical School upon legal positivism, describes the similarities and differences between the scientific positivism of A. Comte and the concepts of legal positivism of J. Bentham and J. Austin. The philosophical-methodological framework of the concepts of “first” legal positivism were subjected to a significant influence of the methodological paradigm of philosophical rationalism, social atomism, exploratory scientific rationality of Modern Age, and nominalism.