The Concept of Law in Freud and Durkheim. Social Fact, Object or Taboo? Cover Image

Pojęcie prawa u Freuda i Durkheima. Fakt społeczny, obiekt czy tabu?
The Concept of Law in Freud and Durkheim. Social Fact, Object or Taboo?

Author(s): KRZYSZTOF KATKOWSKI
Subject(s): History of Law, History of ideas, Psychoanalysis, Philosophy of Law, Sociology of Law
Published by: Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego
Keywords: critical legal theory; psychoanalysis; sociology of law; history of ideas; Sigmund Freud; Emil Durkheim;

Summary/Abstract: It is the intention of the author of this article to present the theoretical and legal views of Sigmund Freud and Emil Durkheim and to place them in the context of classical texts on political-legal theory. Both thinkers, rather associated with sociology or psychology than with law, treated law as one of the most important reference points in their social concepts. In both cases, we are dealing with the treatment of the social order as transcendent to the empirical individual, and at the same time created by society. At the same time, the law is supposed to impede the emancipation of the individual and to allow the individual to have a real influence on the creation of power structures. At the same time, despite numerous analyses of the theoretical-legal views of these thinkers in the European scientific literature, this is the first such analysis in Polish. In addition to presenting Freud’s and Durkheim’s views, it opens up the possibility of not only situating them among political- -legal theories, but also points to perspectives on the operationalisation of these theories – as well as their possible social implications. To this end, the following article juxtaposes their theories with the traditions of legal positivism as represented by Hans Kelsen and Herbert L.A. Hart – two authors who were inspired by Freud and Durkheim respectively.

  • Issue Year: 15/2023
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 153-175
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Polish
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