Scandinavian realism

Abstract

In the twentieth century, non-cognitivist movements also arose in legal philosophy, and these are closely related to linguistic philosophy. One of the most important examples of this is Scandinavian Realism, although there were other similar theories outside Scandinavia at this time. The doctrine developed by the founder of the Scandinavian school, Axel Hägerström, between 1910 and 1920 bears a striking resemblance to the ideas of his Russo-Polish contemporary Leon Petrazycki. But although Petrazycki was only a year older than Hägerström, they probably never became acquainted with each other’s theories. Petrazycki’s legal theory did actually influence the administration of justice in Russia for a short period after the 1917 revolution.