SOCIOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF LAW

The Sociological approach to the study of law is the most important characteristic
of our age. Jurists belonging to this school of thought are concerned more with the
working of law rather than its abstract content. They are concerned with the study
of law in relation to society. They concentrate on actual social circumstances
which gives rise to legal institutions.
Sociological school of jurisprudence has emerged as a result of synthesis of
various juristic thought. The exponent of this school considered law as a social
phenomenon.
The main concern of sociological jurists is to study the effect of law and society on
each other. They treat law as an instrument of social progress. The relation
between positive law and ideals of justice also affects the sociology of law.
Sociological Approach – Nature and Meaning
Sociological approach towards study of law was a reaction and revolt against the
analytical and historical school both of which regarded law as self – contained
system – the former deriving validity of law from the sovereign – the law giver and
the latter from the slow and silently flowing historical and cultural processes and
forces. The sociological approach considers law as a social fact or reality to shape,
mould and change society to sub-serve its needs, expectations and goals through
law.
Characteristics of Sociological Jurisprudence
The chief characteristics of Sociological Jurisprudence are as follows:
1. Sociological jurists are concerned more with the working of law rather than with
the nature of law. They regarded law as a body of authoritative guides to decision
and of the judicial and administrative processes rather than abstract content of
authoritative precepts.
2. It considers law as a social institution which can be consciously made and also
changed, modified or retained on the basis of experience.
3. Sociological Jurists lay emphasis upon social purposes and social goals and
expectations which are the law subserves rather upon sanctions and coercive
character of law.
4. Sociological jurists look on legal institutions, doctrines and precepts functionally
and consider the form of legal precepts as a matter of means only to satisfy greatest
good of the greatest number.
Background
Sociological approach to the study of law towards the end of the 19th century did
not emerge in isolation. It was a reaction against the formal and barren approach of
the analytical jurists and the pessimistic approach of the historical jurists. Further,
on account of economic and social conflicts towards the beginning of 20th century
led to growing disbelief in the eternal principles of natural law which had hitherto
placed an idea of harmony before the individual. The theory of inalienable natural
rights was now being considered as an expression of outmoded laissez – faire
philosophy. This led the States to expand the dimension of their activities to such
matters as health, insurance, education, old age security and other form of social
and economic aspects of welfare. Hence a new approach towards the study of law
in relation to its ends, purposes and functions for ordering and regulating
relationship between individuals and groups of individuals emerge which is
described as the sociological jurisprudence.
Among the foremost writers who made an attempt to apply scientific methods to
social phenomenon was Auguste Comte (1798 – 1851). He is known as the
founder of sociology as a science. He laid stress upon empirical methods such as
observation and experiment for the study of society. It is the task of sociology to
provide methods, tools and a basis for purposeful and realistic appraisal of social
phenomena which interact in society.
Main Exponents of Sociological School of Jurisprudence:
Roscoe Pound - Pound was the principal advocate of the sociological based study
of the law in the United States. His concern was to examine law in action as
opposed to the topic of law in books. In a series of law review articles published
between 1905 and 1923, Roscoe Pound of the Harvard Law School discusses
different issues pertaining to the sociological concept of law. All his philosophy
(Programs of Sociological Jurisprudence) is included and classified in to six main
points:
1. The first is the study of the actual social effects of legal institutions and legal
doctrines.
2. The second is sociological study in preparation for law making. It is not enough
to study other legislation analytically.
3. The third point is study of the means of making legal rules effective. This has
been neglected almost entirely in the past.
4. The fourth point is sociological legal history, that is, a study not only of how
legal rules have evolved and developed, but also of how they have worked in
practice and of the social effects they have produced and of the manner in which
they have produced them.
5. The fifth point is the importance of reasonable and just decisions in individual
cases. 6. Finally, the sociological jurists stress the point that the end of juristic
study is to make effort more effective in achieving the purposes of law.
Contribution of Roscoe Pound
Emphasis on Functional Aspect of Law- Roscoe pound added new dimensions to
Sociological school of jurisprudence. His approach to sociological jurisprudence
was different in the sense that he attempted to cover social life as a whole unlike
his predecessors who considered law as the main subject of study and society is
merely subsidiary to it. Pound laid greater stress on functional aspect of law. He
defined law is the containing “the rules, principles, conceptions and standards of
conduct and decision as also the precepts and doctrines of professional rules of
art.” He thus considers law as means of a developed technique and treats
jurisprudence as a social engineering.
Pound’s Theory of Social Engineering- Roscoe pound conceived law as a social
engineering its main task being to accelerate the process of social ordering by
making all possible efforts to avoid conflicts of interest of individuals in the
society.
Leon Dugit - Leon Duguit was a respected French jurist, dean of the law school at
Bordeaux, and author of a series of works which criticize traditional juristic
opinions and ideas. The first work in which he began to develop the basis of his
doctrine was written as a response to The System of Subjective Public Laws by the
noted German jurist George Jellinek. Duguit follows the views of the French
sociologist Emile Durkheim and considers that norms of objective law are based
on a law of social solidarity. Social solidarity occurs when people have common
needs which can be satisfied jointly, and when people have different needs and
different abilities which can be satisfied through the exchange of mutual services.
Rudolph Von Ihring – Ihring was educated at Berlin in Germany. He was
professor at Basel, Rostock, Keil, Vienna and Strasburg. Ihring opined that social
interest must gain priority over individual interest and the purpose of law should be
to protect the interest of the society.
Ihring’s Contribution – Ihring’s contribution to the science of jurisprudence has
been acknowledged by Friedmann who calls him the father of modern sociological
jurisprudence. Ihring traced development of various legal systems by adopting
comparative method of study and came to the conclusion that law develops by
conscious efforts. Ihring laid foundation of modern sociological jurisprudence by
this insistence on treating law as one of the important factors to control the social
organism.
 LEGAL REALISM
Legal realism had its origins in the twentieth century. The term realism is used in
many ways to characterize intellectual and philosophical movements. In literature
‘realism’ designates an approach that attempts to describe life without idealizing or
romantic subjectivity.
Similarly, legal realism attempts to describe the law without idealizing it, to
portray the law as it is – not how it should be or how it was depicted in traditional
theories that ignored the law’s actual day-to-day operation – and to reform it.
The relation of legal realism to natural law theory is straight forward: Americans
reject appeals to natural law. Legal realists are not legal positivists in the classical
sense of Bentham and Austin, since they do not embrace the idea of command
theory.
American Realists
Pragmatist approach- Oliver Wondel Holmes and John Chipman Gray are
greatly considered as the two mental fathers of the American Legal Realism.
Prominent are also other writers in this class of philosophy.
Law as prophesy of the court: Oliver W. Holmes- Oliver Wendell Holmes said,
 The prophesies of what the court will do in fact, and nothing more pretentious,
are what I mean by the law.
 The life of the law has not been logic, it has been experience.
Centrality of the judge: John Chipman Gray- Another strand in American
realism, linked with the first but distinct from it, is that which emphasizes the
significance of the role of the courts in any consideration of the nature of law. It is
the role of the judge that is central to a proper understanding.
Rule Skepticism: Karl Llewellyn - Karl Llewellyn is another realist jurist in the
American realism movement Holmes and gray gave the power of making law to
the judges of higher courts, but Llewellyn widens it to all officers of the law.
Llewellyn is described as “rule skeptic” in that he distrusts rules as laws.
Fact Skepticism: Jerome Frank - Judge Jerome Frank categorizes the whole
realist movement into “rule skepticism” and “fact skepticism.” According to rule
skepticism, those formal rules found in judicial decisions and in books, were
unreliable as guides in the prediction of decisions.
ECONOMIC APPROACH OF LAW
The Marxian concept of law is entirely opposed to the Schools of Jurisprudence
hitherto considered. Law, according to Marx, is intimately associated with the
nature of the State. He does not accept the view that law is the expression of the
will of the people or reflection of the principles of social justice or the result of
habits and customs or the social needs it serves.
In a Capitalist State, the law is only the tool of the State to maintain and safeguard
the interests of the capitalist class, a dominant group in society. In a Socialist State
the workers are the ruling class and, thus, law must be the safeguard of the
proletarian State against the enemies of Socialism, and a tool for the construction
of a Socialist Society.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
Both of them are considered to be the founders of the greatest social and political
movement which began in 19th century and flourished in 20th century as a
political philosophy in Eastern Europe which is the erstwhile Soviet Union and
influenced all the decolonized colonies of the world. Tenets of their ideology are
practiced in China’s Political Philosophy.

Marx’s view of state and law was co-terminus with the understanding of society
and social process. Marx’s originality of thought lies in the fact that he synthesized
almost entire philosophical thought from Aristotle to Hegel.
The sociological understanding of the society led Marx to pronounce that the
desired system should be a Communist Society based on rational planning, co-
operative production and equality of distribution and most importantly, liberated
from all forms of political and bureaucratic hierarchy.
ECONOMIC INTERPRETATION OF LAWS
The constitution of India is a basic legal document. It is fundamental law of the
land. It is framed by the constituent assembly. The preamble of the constitution
suggests that the goal of our country is to achieve a situation in which all the
people of India got social economic and political justice. This means our law if
framed to ascertain economic quality.
Economic justice means the law should be legislated keeping in mind the poor and
weaker section of the society. Part IVth of our constitution i.e., directive principles
of state policy are the principles that are enacted for the social well being. The
provisions of this chapter like are equal pay for equal work, maternity benefit etc.
promote economic equality.
The law should be interpreted liberally and for the welfare of society. They should
be interpreted in the light of the objectives enshrined in the preamble of our
constitution.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Social justice: sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a society in
which justice is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the
administration of law. It is generally thought of as a world which affords
individuals and groups fair treatment and an impartial share of the benefits of
society. It can also refer to the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within
a society.
Social justice is both a philosophical problem and an important issue in politics,
religion and civil society. The term social justice is often employed by the political
left to describe a society with a greater degree of economic egalitarianism, which
may be achieved through progressive taxation, income redistribution, or property
redistribution.
Social justice features as an apolitical philosophical concept in much of I writing.
It is fundamental to catholic social teaching. Social justice is also a concept that
some use to describe the movement towards a socially just world. In this context,
social justice is based on the concepts of human rights and equality.
Economic justice: economic justice, which touches the individual person as well
as the social order, encompasses the moral principles which guide us in designing
our economic institutions. These institutions determine how each person earns a
living, enters into contracts, exchanges goods and services with others and
otherwise produces an independent material foundation for his or her economic
sustenance. The ultimate purpose of economic justice is to free each person to
engage creatively in the unlimited work beyond economics, that of the mind and
the spirit.
The three principles of economic justice: like every system, economic justice
involves input, output, and feedback for restoring harmony or balance between
input and output. Within the system of economic justice as defined by Louis Kelso
and Mortimer Adler, there are 3 essential and interdependent principles: the
principle of participation, the principle of distribution and the principle of
harmony.