Oikeusteorea

Oikeusteoria, or the theory of law, is a branch of legal philosophy and legal science that investigates the nature, sources, and normative foundations of law. It asks what counts as law, how legal norms gain authority, and what role law plays in society. The field examines the relationship between law and morality, justice, and social order, as well as the distinction between law as it is written and law as it is practiced.

Scholars distinguish several approaches. Natural law theories view law as reflecting a moral order. Legal positivism treats law as a system of valid rules created or recognized by the appropriate authority, independent of moral evaluation. Critical or realist approaches emphasize law as a social practice shaped by power, culture, and institutions. Interpretive or hermeneutic theories focus on how legal texts are understood and applied, while socio-legal and empirical approaches study how laws affect behavior and social life.

Key topics include normative sources of law (constitutions, statutes, and precedents), questions of validity and authority, methods of legal interpretation and reasoning, and the limits of judicial discretion. The field also considers the purposes of law, such as justice, predictability, and social order, and the roles of legislators, judges, and lawyers in realizing those aims. Oikeusteoria spans philosophy, jurisprudence, and comparative law, and informs both academic debate and practical work in legislation, adjudication, and legal reform.