Metaphenomena in Law: the Structure, Elements, Methodological Aspects, Optimization of Interaction between Theoretical and Meta-Theoretical Levels

The science in general and the legal science in particular have different levels of knowledge and cognition: empirical, theoretical, meta-theoretical. Of particular interest is the interaction between theoretical and meta-theoretical levels, as understanding of this process will allow us to approach the understanding of the boundaries of scientific and non-scientific thinking, to distinguish between theory of law and philosophy of law within or beyond the general theory of law. The studies in this field are complicated by the lack of development of metalinguistic means in jurisprudence. Problem issues in this area include the structure of metalinguistic means, their elements, and the relationship with methodology, optimization of interaction between theoretical and meta-theoretical levels. As an innovative tool for studying metalinguistic means, it is possible to use the concept of “boundary of meanings.” Legal phenomena may be influenced by the “boundary of meanings,” in the area of which the uncertainty factor increases. Some phenomena “originate” from the “boundary of meanings,” in connection with which they constantly experience a crisis of self-identification. Blurring of boundaries entails a crisis of self-identification; establishing hard boundaries absolutizes dogmatic principles.
The structure of metalinguistic means is represented at two levels: legal metaphenomena of the theoretical level and legal metaphenomena of the philosophical level. Metaphenomena of various levels are in a state of interaction. Philosophical level metaphenomena affect the perception of theoretical level metafenomena; they can correct or significantly alter their content. Metaphenomena of the theoretical level, experiencing crisis states, entail changes in the metaphenomena of the philosophical level (changing the legal paradigms, changing the style of legal thinking, etc.).
The study of the issue of optimization of interaction between theoretical and philosophical levels of the legal science with due regard to the heuristic potential of legal metafenomena as a conceptual apparatus of the boundary of meanings combining the theory of law and its philosophy, will allow us to approach the resolution of the question of searching for criteria of scientific and extra-scientific thinking.

1. Alekseev PV, Panin AV. Filosofiya : uchebnik [Philosophy: A Textbook]. Moscow: TK Welbi, Prospekt Publ.; 2005 (In Russ.).

2. Alekseev SS. Teoriya prava [Theory of Law]. Moscow: Bek Publ.;1995. (In Russ.).

3. Vasilyev AM. Pravovye kategorii. metodologicheskie aspekty razrabotki sistemy kategoriy teorii prava [Legal categories. Methodological aspects of the development of a system of categories of the theory of law]. Moscow: Yurid. lit. Publ.; 1976 (In Russ.).

4. Zavyalov YuS, Galkin IV. Fenomenologiya i poznanie prava [Phenomenology and Cognition of Law]. State and Law. 2015;2:63—73 (In Russ.).

5. Kerimov DA. Metodologiya prava : predmet, funktsii, problemy filosofii prava [Methodology of law: Subject, functions, problems of philosophy of law]. Moscow: Izd-vo SGU Publ.; 2011 (In Russ.).

6. Krotkova NV. Istoriya i metodologiya yuridicheskoy nauki (kruglyy stol kafedry teorii gosudarstva i prava i politologii yuridicheskogo fakulteta MGU imeni M. V. Lomonosova i zhurnala «Gosudarstvo i pravo») [History and methodology of legal science (round table of the Department of Theory of the State and Law and Political Science of the Faculty of Law, Lomonosov Moscow State University and Journal “State and Law”). State and Law. 2016;4:5—31 (In Russ.).

7. Kulikova TV. Filosofiya «granitsy» v kontekste gumanitarnogo poznaniya [Philosophy of “boundary” in the context of humanitarian cognition]. Vestnik of Lobachevsky University of Nizhni Novgorod. 2012;1(3):47—54 (In Russ.).

8. Kuhn T. Struktura nauchnykh revolyutsiy [Structure of scientific revolutions] (Russian TRanslation). Moscow: AST Publ.; 2003. (In Rus.)

9. Leist OE. Sushchnost prava. Problemy teorii i filosofii prava [The essence of law. Problems of theory and philosophy of law]. Moscow: Zertsalo-M Publ.; 2002 (In Russ.).

10. Maksimov SI. Kontseptsiya pravovoy realnosti [The concept of legal reality]. In: Chestnov IL, editor. Postklassicheskaya ontologiya prava : monografiya [Postclassical ontology of law: A monograph]. St. Petersburg: Aleteya Publ.; 2016 (In Russ.).

11. Matuzov NI. O metodologicheskoy situatsii v rossiyskom pravovedenii [On the methodological situation in Russian law]. In: Matuzov NI, Malko AV, editors. Sovremennye metody issledovaniya v pravovedenii [Modern methods of research in law]. Saratov: SYuI of the MIA of Russia Publ.; 2007 (In Russ.).

12. Svinin EV. Obekt i predmet pravovogo regulirovaniya kak komponenty strukturnoy organizatsii pravoporyadka [Object and Subject of Legal Regulation as Components of the Structural Organization of Law and Order]. Lex russica. 2020;73(1):118—131 (In Russ.).

13. Syrykh VM. Istoriya i metodologiya yuridicheskoy nauki : uchebnik [History and methodology of legal science: A textbook]. Moscow: Norma: Infra-M Publ.; 2014 (In Russ.).

14. Syrykh VM. Rossiyskie pravovedy na perepute: materialisticheskiy ratsionalizm ili subektivnyy idealizm [Russian legal scholars at the crossroads: materialistic rationalism or subjective idealism]. Journal of Russian Law, 2016;1:75—89 (In Russ.).

15. Frolova EA. Teoriya gosudarstva i prava i filosofiya prava: metodologiya issledovaniya [Theory of the state and law and philosophy of law: methodology of research]. In: Marchenko MN, editor. Obshchaya teoriya prava: istoriya i sovremennoe sostoyanie (k 110-letiyu A. I. Denisova) : monografiya [General theory of law: history and current state (to the 110th anniversary of A. I. Denisov): monograph]. Moscow: Prospekt Publ.; 2018 (In Russ.).

16. Shakhanov VV. K voprosu o nazvanii gruppy pravovykh yavleniy, imeyushchikh pristavku «meta» [On the question of the name of the group of legal phenomena having a prefix “meta”]. Scientific works. Russian Academy of Legal Sciences. Iss. 19. Moscow Yurist Publ.; 2019 (In Russ.).

17. Shakhanov VV. Metafenomeny v prave: prednaznachenie, kriterii vydeleniya, riski ispolzovaniya [Metaphenomena in law: purpose, criteria of allocation, risks of use]. Journal of Russian Law. 2019;12:30—37 (In Russ.).