Historiosophical meaning of law based on a case of Leon Ptrażycki’s psychological law theory

Abstract

Leon Petrażycki and his work are mostly associated with his psychological theory of law according to which a phenomenon of law can be reduced to mental states. However, it should be noticed that law philosophy Petrażycki proposes is conditioned by a specific historiosophical vision. The article is focused on the reconstruction of philosophy of history by Petrażycki. The determinants of the historical process, its course, and the periodization of history used by the Polish researcher were indicated. According to Petrażycki, the history of civilization aims to achieve the state of non-normative, stateless and universalistic social eudaemonia. We can therefore speak of an optimistic and linear-oriented historiosophy. The policy of law, which stimulates the historical process, plays a special role in these considerations.