Format: on Shaninka campus and online
Language: Russian, English
Moderators: Aleksej Iljushkin (HSE student), Ivan Kilyakov (HSE student), Aishat Garipova (HSE student), Vladislav Lebedev (HSE student), Ilya Evseev (HSE student), Anna Pristupa (HSE student), Diana Kabilova (HSE student)

As early as the 19th century, the German jurisprude Rudolf von Jhering described jurisprudence as the "Cinderella of the science" (Das Aschenbrödel der Wissenschaft). Around the same period, the renowned Russian private law scholar Georgiy Gambaryan wrote about the lack of popularity of jurisprudence in Russia. Later, in the 1970s, this issue caught the attention of the American sociologist Talcott Parsons, who addressed it in his article "Law as an Intellectual Stepchild." In our time, the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Roberts, has similarly noted that the theoretical understanding of law fails to attract the interest of practicing lawyers.

Scholars still debate on the subject matter and objectives of the philosophy of law / jurisprudence, and no consensus has yet been reached. Thus, the unique and paradoxical position of legal philosophy within the framework of social sciences and humanities is evident. Moreover, this phenomenon is international in scope.

Since the philosophical study of law is a rather marginal activity, the question arises about the relevance and significance of the philosophy of law as a separate field of knowledge. At first glance, the view that legal philosophy lacks practical application and occupies a peripheral position in theoretical debates may seem justified. Under such an assumption, the best-case scenario for legal philosophy would be to serve as a beginner’s guide to legal terminology.

In light of this, the primary goal of our section is to challenge the widespread notion that legal philosophy serves merely as a handmaiden to practical jurisprudence, which itself is often viewed as a service-oriented discipline. During the session, we will not only strive to conceptualize the subject matter of our field but also work to integrate it into the broader context of the social sciences and humanities.

How can this goal be achieved? We aim to demonstrate the capacity of legal philosophers to address fundamental questions about the organization of human society and the essence of concepts such as justice and ethics. This endeavor is significant not only for practical jurisprudence but also for philosophy, particularly political and moral philosophy.

Legal philosophy has the potential to serve as a bridge between theoretical research and applied social sciences and humanities. Such interaction can open new horizons for the conceptual understanding of complex social phenomena and foster the development of applied disciplines.

Therefore, we invite specialists from diverse fields to explore the boundaries of philosophical reflection on law!