law

Information Civilization and the Law: Significance of Limiting Factors. Introductory Insights

Dr Paweł Kłos

Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin

English abstract: The primary aim of this text is to show the specificity of Central European constitutionalisation after the fall of communism. Its peculiarity lies in the systemic search for the legitimacy of new communities in the experience of the past. This specificity will be examined within the framework of a consideration of the contemporary understanding of the Central Europe concept. This is particularly necessary in the light of attempts to combine (in this area) the universal values of the Western world with references to communitarian elements, usually national. The main idea of the following text is to identify the hybrid character of Central European political communities. This is because, at the moment of constitutionalisation, they decided to merge national and liberal-democratic values.

Key words: Information civilization, information society, law, logic, communication.

Language: English

Published: no. 1(42)/2025, pp. 23-39.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2025.1.23

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Number of downloads: 132

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The Outline of Populist Constitutionalism

Mgr Jakub HUDSKÝ

University of Wroclaw

English abstract: The aim of this article is to present the assumptions of the populist constitutionalism in view of the unwavering support for populist groups and the related beliefs, resulting in irreversible changes in the perception of democratic reality. The starting point is an attempt to grasp the essence of populism and describe its elementary features. Populism is often defined in opposition to liberal thought and is analysed on two plans – the ideological and pragmatic one. An analysis of both of these elements makes it possible to indicate the political concept of populist democracy, the implementation of which is the goal of populists who achieve power. The assumptions of populist democracy are based on the implementation of the unfettered and current will of the people; at the same time, this concept perceives reality in an agonistic way – it is aware of the political necessity of all elements of public space, which make up the arena for the constantly clashing opposing interests. The above theses create a perspective through which one should look at the phenomenon of populist constitutionalism. There is no doubt that its starting point will be putting into practice populist beliefs and assumptions of populist democracy. Populist constitutional discourse, striving to implement the will of the people, does not reject the liberal institutions that have been in force so far. On the contrary, this phenomenon takes advantage of the hitherto achievements of constitutionalism and strives to transform them in such a way that – at least in principle – the will of the people can be implemented in the most unrestricted way possible. The final part of the reflections concerns the approach of populism to the constituent power, i.e., the power that enables the adoption and amendment of the constitution. It might seem that ‘legalizing’ the constituent power (e.g., in the form of an imperative mandate or popular referenda) would lead to the expansion of the power of the people, but populists do not seem to share this position. They point out that establishing a procedure which allows for additional expression of the will by citizens actually constrains their movements. Formal restrictions (e.g., the minimum number of signatures required) can often thwart the popular initiative.

Keywords: populist constitutionalism, populism, law, illiberalism, constituent power

Language: Polish

Published: Number 4(37)/2023, pp. 40-53.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2023.4.40

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Friedrich A. Hayek’s Evolutionary Concept of Law: Essence and Topicality

Jakub AUGUSTYNIAK

University of Warsaw

English abstract: The paper aims to present the concept of law proposed by F.A. Hayek in Law, Legislation and Liberty. Hayek’s theory is subsequently compared to G. Radbruch philosophy of law, mainly because of the significant difference in both thinkers’ intellectual backgrounds (i.e., liberalism and socialism). The Austrian philosopher’s theory is identified as a so-called third way proposal, an attempt to demonstrate lack of antagonism between positivism and legal naturalism. This thesis results from the fact that this theory is based on the dichotomy
between two sources of law in the form of established social practice subsequently sanctioned by the sovereign, referred to as nomos, and thesis in the form of legal instruments adopted by competent authorities. The first kind are correlated with private law in the broad sense, which law emerged from the activity of individual members of the society. The second kind should only establish norms to enable the state to operate and to safeguard nomos.

Keywords: nomos, thesis, philosophy, law, justice, society

Language: Polish

Published: Number 4(37)/2023, pp. 5-14.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2023.4.5

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An Ideal of Scientific Jurisprudence. Józef Nowacki Against Ideological Influences on Jurisprudential Claims

Prof. dr hab. Tomasz PIETRZYKOWSKI

University of Silesia in Katowice

English abstract: Methodological assumptions underpinning Józef Nowacki’s research were one of the most original and intriguing aspects of his approach to legal theory. An extremely rigorous conception of what kind of legal claims may be regarded as scientific can be reconstructed based on his various writings about legal norms, general clauses, dispositive provisions of law, legal principles or the practical application of the constitutional notion of the rule of law. His relentless efforts to uncover and eliminate from scientific discourse any evaluative judgments served to defend legal theory against ideological influences and subjective wishful thinking disguised as scientific claims. In these respects, it not only was an unquestionably valuable position then, but it remains so nowadays. At the same time, it begs numerous questions and doubts that still permeate central methodological debates in jurisprudence.

Keywords: law, methodology, valuing, legal theory, science

Language: Polish

Published: Number 3(36)/2023, s. 22-33.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2023.3.22

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The ‘Theatrical’ in Public Participation: How Can Theatre Contribute to Citizens’ Engagement in Legislative Development?

Bartłomiej Bodziński-Guzik

Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland

English abstract: The paper is devoted to the notion of public participation and an attempt to propose a slightly different understanding and approach to this than usual. The author acknowledges the potential of theatrical methods, especially the proposal of A. Boal, the Legislative Theatre, whereby the theatre is used to create proposals for legislation, bringing additional value to the participation process. The LT is a point of reference, but the following reflections refer to theatre and performance in a more general sense. The article focuses on the corelations between theatre and different relevant fields of social activity to determine and present potential benefits of using theatre in the process of participation. It is to present a preliminary review of relevant ideas that can stimulate future reflection about theatricalizing participation, rather than presenting a direct and comprehensive proposal.

Keywords: public participation, law, community, politics, legislative theatre, therapy, protest

Language: English

Published: Number 2(35)/2023, pp. 5-19.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280//AFPiFS.2023.2.5

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Liberty – Equality – Fraternity, or Rudolf Steiner’s Concept of Threefold Society

Prof. UMK dr hab. Marta BARANOWSKA

Mikołaj Kopernik University in Toruń

English abstract: The research objective of the article is to present Rudolf Steiner’s concept of threefold society, as well as to attempt to indicate whether the ideas he raised have a place in the contemporary discourse in social and political philosophy. The research questions to be asked in this context are: is it possible to include Steiner’s views in a specific ideology? Did he consider it possible to realize the ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity in social life? How did he perceive the relationship between the individual and the community? Achieving the research goal requires analysing and interpreting Steiner’s writings and analysing the scientific literature devoted to this issue. First of all, he believed that the three ideas: liberty, equality, fraternity, are impossible to implement when the social organism is treated as an integral whole. The original solution to this problem was to suggest dividing the social organism into three parts. Each part would implement one of these ideas. The spiritual sphere would be based on freedom from influence of the state and the economy, while the economic sphere would be based on brotherhood and not on the liberal egoistic desire to get rich or on the socialist pursuit of equality. In this context, he also presented a concept that resembles basic income, an idea raised more and more often in contemporary social philosophy. Finally, the political sphere would be based on democratic equality. Steiner emphasized that he was not creating a new ideology because a permanent social order would never be possible. He also introduced an original solution to social philosophy, pointing out that life is not an integral whole and has different aspects. Different priorities can be considered in each of them, which will result in an optimal solution to the individual-community paradox.

Keywords: Rudolf Steiner, threefold social order, anthroposophy, liberty, social philosophy, unconditional basic income, law

Language: Polish

Published: Number 1(34)/2023, pp.5-17

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280//AFPiFS.2023.1.5

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Number of downloads: 327

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How Much Beauty in Law? How Much Law in Beauty? A Review of Kamil Zeidler’s Aesthetics of Law (Gdańsk–Warszawa 2020, pp. 309)

Dr Dawid Kostecki

John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

Keywords: law, aesthetics, aesthetics of law, philosophy of law, axiology, jursiprudence

Language: English

Published: Number 3(32)/2022, pp. 114-118

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2022.3.114

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Number of downloads: 329

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The Concept of Rationality and the Rationalization of Law in the Works of Max Weber

Mgr Konstanty Kuryłowicz

University of Bialystok

English abstract: The magnitude of Max Weber’s work is overwhelming. However, with it, comes its great insight into the social reality. Reinhard Bendix has called Weber the magical name of the modern social sciences. Agreeing with this claim, The Author of this article takes on one of the fundamental problems of the social sciences – the problematic concept of rationality. This concept remains a key element of the works of Max Weber. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to analyze the intricacies of its definition by the famous German scholar. First comes the analysis of the multiplicity of contexts in which Weber makes the use of the term rationality and the rationalization. Then, after the realization of the impossibility of a precise definition of the rationalization without taking the context into account, the transition to the rationalization of law follows. The look at the division of rationalization of law into various planes on which it can manifest its rationality or irrationality (be it the material or formal aspect) is concluded with the summary, where The Author poses questions about certain issues that require further research.

Keywords: disenchantment, irrational, law, rationalism, rationality, rationalization, Weber

Language: Polish

Published: Number 3(28)/2021, pp. 82-94

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2021.3.82

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Number of downloads: 408

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Against Dignity: An Argument for a Non-Metaphysical Foundation of Animal Law

Prof. dr hab. Tomasz Pietrzykowski

University of Silesia in Katowice

English abstract: Animal protection as an emerging field of legislation needs to be constitutionalized as well as comprehensively expounded by legal scholars. As it is a growing body of regulation and accompanying legal theories, it needs to develop a solid conceptual and axiological framework, in particular a set of basic values and principles on which detailed rules are to be founded. Lacking these, the domain of animal law is still in the pre-paradigm stage and remains an assemblage of dispersed ideas, concepts and regulatory measures. It yet has to develop into a coherent whole that may grow to be a mature regulatory and doctrinal domain of the law. In order to reach this stage, it should be founded on clear theoretical and constitutional grounds. Lacking those, its further development, and effective operation may be seriously impeded. There seem to be two basic approaches that may serve as the possible foundations for a viable model of animal protection law. The first may be referred to as the “dignity” approach and the other, as the “sentientist” approach. According to the first of those two approaches, animal protection law should rely on the concept of animal dignity as its philosophical foundation. The second approach rejects the idea that the concept of animal dignity as the basis for the relevant legislation as philosophically dubious and entailing objectionable normative consequences for the scope and content of legal protections of animals. Thus, it aims rather at legal norms and policies being based directly on scientifically informed theories of sentience, evolutionarily developed nervous structures underlying cognitive and emotional capabilities or species-typical biological and psychological needs that condition the subjective well-being of a given creature. The aim of this paper is to analyse and discuss both these approaches and to argue that the former is philosophically, conceptually and practically flawed. The second approach, even despite some serious disadvantages, is therefore deemed to be preferable and more promising.

Keywords: animals, dignity, rights, law, constitution, ethics

Language: English

Published: Number 2(27)/2021, pp. 69-82.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2021.2.69

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Number of downloads: 440

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Andrey Zvyagintsev’s ‘Leviathan’: The Unbearable State of Nature

Mgr Katarzyna Krzyżanowska

European University Institute, Florence

Abstract: Leviathan by Andrey Zvyagintsev is a movie that depicts the world in a state of nature, with no prospects for creating a Hobbesian social contract. Set in the Russian peripheries, the film depicts a respected and caring family man who is gradually deprived of everything because of lack of political order with enforceable law and justice. The movie is a depiction of a contemporary “failed state”, equalized with the state of nature, where there is no legitimate power and violence remains the only tool to achieve goals both in private and public spheres. Religion consists of empty rituals that serve corrupt officials to maintain power. This world cannot last without innocent victims, scapegoats of the society, one of whom is the protagonist of the movie. This paper offers a legal and philosophical inquiry into the film, as it draws especially on the theory of the social contract proposed by Hobbes. It depicts a Russian town as a symbol of the state of nature as envisioned by Hobbes and describes the reasons why the social contract has not been made. According to Hobbes’s theory, in the state of nature concepts like justice and injustice do not convey any meaning; therefore, this paper investigates other: theological and anthropological concepts, to explore the meaning of Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan.

Keywords: Leviathan, Hobbes, Legendre, Agamben, crisis, ritual, religion, law

Language: English

Published: Number 1(26)/2021, s. 62-75.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2021.1.62

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