Oikeusoppia

Oikeusoppia, often translated as jurisprudence or theory of law, is the theoretical and philosophical study of law and legal systems. It investigates what law is, how legal norms are created, interpreted, and applied, and how legal reasoning relates to morality, social order, and policy. The field addresses concepts such as legal validity, authority, rule of recognition, rights, and justice, and it analyzes the sources of law, including statutes, case law, and customary norms.

Within Finland, oikeusoppia forms a core part of legal education and research. It is studied as part of the discipline of oikeustiede (law) at Finnish universities and supports both professional training for lawyers and academic inquiry. Researchers in oikeusoppia explore topics such as constitutional theory, rights theory, legal philosophy, comparative law, and the sociology and economics of law.

Historically, oikeusoppia draws on international traditions of legal philosophy, including positivist and natural-law approaches, as well as contemporary strands such as critical legal studies and law-and-economics analyses. Methodologies include doctrinal and normative analysis, philosophical argumentation, historical study, and, increasingly, empirical research into how laws function in society.

Purpose and use: the discipline provides analytical tools for understanding, interpreting, and critiquing legal systems, supports the training of future jurists and scholars, and informs public debate and legislative reform.