Begriff und System des Rechts bei Georg Friedrich Puchta

Prof. Dr. Christoph-Eric Mecke lehrt Rechtsvergleichung, Rechtsgeschichte und Rechtsphilosophie an der Juristischen Fakultät der Universität Zielona Góra in Polen. Zuvor war er wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an der Brunswick European Law School der Ostfalia Hochschule in Wolfenbüttel und Lehrbeauftragter an der Leibniz Universität Hannover. In Passau, Tours und Göttingen studierte er Rechtswissenschaften, Geschichte und Soziologie. Außerdem war er Stipendiat der Niedersächsischen Graduiertenförderung und wurde an der Universität Göttingen promoviert.

Prof. Dr. Stephan Meder lehrt seit 1998 Zivilrecht und Rechtsgeschichte an der Juristischen Fakultät der Universität Hannover.

This volume enquires into Georg Friedrich Puchta's definition of law and his view of the functions of lawyers in terms of legal knowledge and the application of the law. The author thereby leaves out the stereotype evaluations known under the keyword "Begriffsjurisprudenz" ("conceptual jurisprudence") and includes the formative intellectual debates and conceptions of his time. Setting out from Puchta's notion of truth and science, which has its roots in convictions prior to legislation, the basic terms of his understanding of law are developed. The study thereby focuses on his theory on the sources of law, which is guided by the central role of Ancient Roman jurists, as well as the major relevance of the system of subjective rights, which is immanent to the whole legal system and is traced back to history and Reason.It becomes clear to what extent Puchtas legal thought is arising from prevailing circumstances and to what extent it also bears future-oriented elements.