Закономерности развития представлений о правовых законах в российской доктринально-правовой мысли XVIII века
Trends in the Development of Ideas about Just Laws in Russian Legal Doctrines of the 18th Century

Summary/Abstract: This article reveals the conditions under which the philosophy of law developed in Russia, with the focus on its unique features and the role played by foreign thinkers in this process. The doctrinal views expressed by several prominent Russian scholars of the 18th century (V.N. Tatishchev, M.M. Shcherbatov, Ya.P. Kozelsky, and A.N. Radishchev) on the key ideas, principles, and attributes of law in general and just law in particular were considered in order to show how they are connected, as well as to better understand the background of modern legal science. The following major ideas were discussed: V.N. Tatishchev’s understanding of natural law as a basis of all positive laws; M.M. Scherbatov’s differentiation between divine and civil laws; Ya.P. Kozelsky’s doctrine of “righteous” and “unrighteous” law; and A.N. Radishchev’s opinion that positive laws should not contradict natural laws. Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that the doctrinal views of the 18th century on just laws that followed the tradition of natural law and proclaimed that any just law must comply with the needs of a human, resist and limit the arbitrary actions of authorities, be a driving force for achieving the common good, etc. were a result of the well-thought choice of the most essential freedoms and responsibilities. Therefore, they may well be regarded as a great achievement of Russian legal science in creating the legal foundations for the sustainable development of humans.

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