E.V. Bulygin and C.E. Alchourrón's Theory of Normative Conflicts in Debate with the Pure Theory of Law

The paper is devoted to the theories of normative conflicts of the Argentine legal philosophers E.V. Bulygin and C.E. Alchourrón. Guided by R. Carnap's methodological principle of tolerance, the thinkers developed two distinct theories of normative systems and normative conflicts. In their terminology, one may be designated as hyletic, and the other as expressive. The scholarly work of Bulygin and Alchourrón largely developed in a polemical dialogue with H. Kelsen; accordingly, both theories were significantly influenced by the ideas of the classical and later versions of the pure theory of law. The early, hyletic theory focuses on the problem of consistency and completeness of a normative system. The function of correcting this system is performed not only by the legislator but also by legal science (dogmatics). In this framework, the concept of a normative conflict is treated as equivalent to a logical contradiction. This understanding of the normative system and jurisprudence converges with the neo-Kantian version of Kelsen's theory, despite the criticism it received from the Argentine thinkers. By contrast, the expressive theory of norms treats a normative conflict as a relation between two facts or two expressions of will, the simultaneous fulfilment of whose requirements is impossible. The focus of this approach is the ordering (hierarchisation) of legal norms, which corresponds to derogation in the sense of Kelsen's later theory. The problem of the validity of unconstitutional laws warrants separate consideration. Arguing with Kelsen's concept of alternative empowerment, Bulygin proposes his own solution, namely by drawing a clear line between a norm's place within the system and whether it may be applied in practice.

1. Alchourrón CE, Bulygin EV. Permissive norms and regulatory systems. In: Bulygin EV. Selected works on the theory and philosophy of law. Transl. from English, German, Spanish. Antonov MV, Lisanyuk EN, Maksimov SI, (eds.). St. Petersburg: Alef-Press; 2016. P. 89–98. (In Russ.).

2. Alchourrón CE, Bulygin EV. Regulatory systems. Transl. from English by Antonov MV. Bulygin, Lisanyuk EN, (eds.). In: Lisanyuk EN, (ed.). Normative systems and other works on the philosophy of law and the logic of norms. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University Publishing House; 2013. P. 44–52. (In Russ.).

3. Alchourrón CE, Bulygin EV. The expressive concept of norms. In: Lisanyuk EN, (ed.). Normative systems and other works on the philosophy of law and the logic of norms. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University Publishing House; 2013. P. 234–261. (In Russ.).

4. Alchourrón CE, Makinson D. Hierarchies of rules and their logic. In: Lisanyuk EN, (ed.). Normative systems and other works on the philosophy of law and the logic of norms. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University Publishing House; 2013. P. 262–284. (In Russ.).

5. Alchourrón CE. Conflicts of Norms and the Revision of Normative Systems. Law and Philosophy. 1991;10(4):413-425. (In Russ.).

6. Alchourrón CE. Systematization and Change in the Science of Law. In: Eckhoff T, Friedman LM, Uusitalo J, (eds.). Rechtstheorie. Beiheft 10. Vernuft und Erfahrung in Rechtsdenken der Gegenwart. Herausg. Berlin: Duncker und Humblot; 1986. P. 171–184.

7. Antonov MV. Hans Kelsen (1881–1973): The main milestones of the intellectual path. Pravo. Zhurnal Vysshey shkoly ekonomiki [Law. Journal of the Higher School of Economics]. 2013;1:3-15. (In Russ.).

8. Antonov MV. Problems of the pure doctrine of law in the works by E.V. Bulygin. In: Antonov MV, Lisanyuk EN, Tonkov EN, (eds.). How is logic possible in law? A monograph. St. Petersburg: Aleteya Publ.; 2021. P. 71–117. (In Russ.).

9. Austin JL. How to perform actions using words? Transl. from English by Rudnev VP. Selected works. Moscow: Idea-Press; 1999. P. 13–135. (In Russ.).

10. Bulygin E. Cognition and Interpretation of Law. In: Gianformaggio L, Paulson SL, (eds). Cognition and Interpretation of Law. Torino; 1995. P. 11–35.

11. Bulygin E. Legal Dogmatics and the Systematization of Law. In: Eckhoff T, Friedman LM, Uusitalo J, (eds.). Rechtstheorie. Beiheft 10. Vernuft und Erfahrung in Rechtsdenken der Gegenwart. Berlin: Duncker und Humblot; 1986. P. 193–210.

12. Bulygin EV. Antinomy in the pure doctrine of law. In: Bulygin EV. Selected works on the theory and philosophy of law. Transl. from English, German, Spanish. Antonov MV, Lisanyuk EN, Maksimov SI, (eds.). St. Petersburg: Alef-Press; 2016. P. 222–245. (In Russ.).

13. Bulygin EV. Kelsen on the completeness and consistency of law. In: Bulygin EV. Selected works on the theory and philosophy of law. Transl. from English, German, Spanish. Antonov MV, Lisanyuk EN, Maksimov SI, (eds.). St. Petersburg: Alef-Press; 2016. P. 246–269. (In Russ.).

14. Bulygin EV. Norms and logic: Hans Kelsen and Ota Weinberger on the ontology of norms. In: Bulygin EV. Selected works on the theory and philosophy of law. Transl. from English, German, Spanish. Antonov MV, Lisanyuk EN, Maksimov SI, (eds.). St. Petersburg: Alef-Press; 2016. P. 358–376. (In Russ.).

15. Bulygin EV. The concept of effectiveness. In: Bulygin EV. Selected works on the theory and philosophy of law. Transl. from English, German, Spanish. Antonov MV, Lisanyuk EN, Maksimov SI, (eds.). St. Petersburg: Alef-Press; 2016. P. 273–293. (In Russ.).

16. Bulygin EV. The Kelsen problem of reality. Normative systems and other works on the philosophy of law and the logic of norms. Lisanyuk EN, (ed.). St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University Publishing House; 2013. P. 344–357. (In Russ.).

17. Carnap R. Empiricism, semantics and ontology. In: Carnap R. Meaning and Necessity: A study in semantics and modal logic. Transl. from English by Vorobyov NV. Moscow: LKI Publ.; 2007. P. 298–320. (In Russ.).

18. Carnap R. Logical Syntax of Language. Transl. by Smeaton A. London: Routledge; 2001.

19. Didikin AB. The basic norm as a category of thinking in Hans Kelsen's Neo-Kantian Philosophy of Law. In: A Transcendental Turn in Modern Philosophy — 7. Epistemology, cognitive science and artificial intelligence. A collection of abstracts of papers to an international scientific conference. Moscow: Russian State University of Humanities; 2022. P. 57–59. (In Russ.).

20. Didikin AB. The limits of the application of logical analysis in the epistemology of law. In: Antonov MV, Lisanyuk EN, Tonkov EN, (eds.). How is logic possible in law? A monograph. St. Petersburg: Aleteya Publ.; 2021. P. 299–311. (In Russ.).

21. Guastini R. Outstanding aspects of «Normative systems». In: Polyakov AV. Russian Yearbook of the Theory of Law. 2010;3. St. Petersburg: Publishing House of St. Petersburg State University; 2011. P. 492–499. (In Russ.).

22. Hart HLA. Kelsen's Doctrine of the Unity of Law. Essays in Jurisprudence and Philosophy. Oxford: Clarendon Press; 2001. P. 309–342.

23. Kasatkin SN. Conceptualization of legal conflicts: Some theoretical and methodological differences. Vestnik Voronezhskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya «Pravo» [Proceedings of Voronezh State University. The Law Series]. 2025;1(60):52-60. (In Russ.).

24. Kelsen H. Derogation. Translated from English by Kraevsky AA. In: Essays on the Philosophy of Law and Morality. Transl. from English and German. St. Petersburg: Alef-Press; 2024. P. 241–256. (In Russ.).

25. Kelsen H. The pure doctrine of law. 2nd ed. Transl. from German by Antonov MV, Lezov SV. St. Petersburg: Alef-Press; 2015. (In Russ.).

26. Kletzer C. Kelsen's Development of the Fehlerkalkül-Theory. Ratio Juris. 2005;18(1):46-63.

27. Kraevsky AA. Between Holism and Realism: Two theories of H. Kelsen's legal conflicts. RUDN Journal of Law. 2025;29(1):117-134. (In Russ.).

28. Lisanyuk EN. C. Alchourrón and E. Bulygin on the norm in «Normative systems». Konfliktologiya. 2011;4:62- 74. (In Russ.).

29. Petrov AV, Tikhonravov EYu. Gaps and conflicts in law. A study guide. 2nd ed., rev. and suppl. Moscow: Prospekt Publ.; 2019. (In Russ.).

30. Quine WvO. On what there is. In: Quine WvO. From a logical point of view. 9 logico-philosophical essays. Transl. by Ladov VA, Surovtsev VA. P. 21–44. (In Russ.).

31. Ross A. On Law and Justice. Transl. by Bindreiter U; Holtermann JvH, (ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2019.

32. Tarski A. Logic, Semantics, Methamathematics. Papers from 1923 to 1938. Transl. by Woodger JH. 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company; 1983.

33. Timoshina EV, Vasilyeva NS, Kondurov VE, Kraevsky AA. The three realms of law: Validity, effectiveness, and legitimacy. Timoshina EV, (ed.). St.Petersburg: Publishing House of the Saint-Petersburg University; 2023. (In Russ.).

34. Weinberger O. The expressive concept of norms is a dead end for the logic of norms. In: Bulygin EV. Selected works on the theory and philosophy of law. Transl. from English, German, Spanish. Antonov MV, Lisanyuk EN, Maksimov SI, (eds.). St. Petersburg: Alef-Press; 2016. P. 327–357. (In Russ.).