Rationality in Law

Abstract

This article analyzes the event of the International legal philosophy symposium “Rationality in law”. The author's attention is focused on the description of the main points of the presentations made at the symposium. As to M. Antonov's presentation, the author stresses the importance of analysis of the arguments in favor of unity of law that have been postulated in the history of legal philosophy and which have been often based on different versions of holism. L. Clerico stressed that the conception of weighing principles elaborated by the contemporary German philosopher Robert Alexy is applicable in constitutional law. The presentation of P. Chiassoni specified three kinds of truth: formal truth as correspondence of reasoning to laws of logic; instrumental truth as applicability of means for obtaining of certain goals; essential truth as selection of highest ethical values and relations between them. The report of R. Caracciolo was devoted to the problem of correlation between the binding force of norms and the persuasive force of reasons for action. J. Moreso analyzed the applicability of classical logic in the world of law and how laws of logic work in legal order. M. Farrell proposed an interesting reconstruction of the legal philosophy of Jeremy Bentham in the light of his project of codification and restructuring the judicial system of England. J. Rodriguez in his presentation compared the differences between the logic of norms and the logic of normative propositions. E. Bulygin concentrated his attention on comparative analysis of analytical philosophy of law and of metaphysical conceptions of rationality in law. In his presentation C. Carcova defended the postulates of the school of critical legal studies. R. Vigo stressed the importance of natural law and legal argumentation in philosophy of law. In his presentation, J. Cerdio attempted to differentiate law from morality through the lenses of Kantian division between theoretical reason and practical reason. R. Gibourg described and compared the relative force of magical and rational principles in law. In the presentation of E. Lisanuyk three images of deontic logic in law were analyzed.