tions.392 It is in fact in its capacity of justifying the given rules of law that the moral dimension of illegality becomes even more manifest: Or what Hägerström elsewhere chooses to categorize as being natural law. In order to explain precisely which specific norms illegality violates (see above) one must investigate the binding power of the norms of the legal order.What defines the binding power of the legal norm? How does a norm gain binding power? The idea attributing the legal order with an actual personality and will and ordaining acts of law, has its origin in various superstitious and religious ideas.394 According to these ideas, the legal order is construed as being a machinery endowed with divine powers that transform the commands of the ruler into a moral duty, which amounts to a duty of a higher value than the legal duty.395 p a r t v i , c h a p t e r 6 498 “Here plainly it is a question of a bond of a moral kind.The punishment ought to occur by reason of the nature of the act, quite independently of any human end lying outside it. The feature of the action which is the reason why the punishment ought to follow regardless of any human purpose is the following. It is the property of violating the law of justice, inherent in ‘reason’ or the consciousness of right independently of all human legislation, which regulates men’s rights and their corresponding obligations and which is itself endowed with divine qualities. It holds good absolutely.”393 392 Hägerström, “Principundersökning,” p. 209; “Fundamental Problems,” p. 348. 393 Hägerström, “Principundersökning,” p. 220; “Fundamental Problems,” p. 361. Swedish:“Här är det uppenbart fråga om ett band av moralisk natur. Straffet bör inträda på grund gärningens beskaffenhet utan hänsyn till något utanför detsamma liggande mänskligt ändamål.Den beskaffenhet hos gärningen, som vållar, att straffet utan varje yttre mänskligt ändamål bör följa, är dess egenskap att kränka den i ‘förnuftet’ eller rättsmedvetandet, oberoende av varje mänsklig lagstiftning, givna rättslagen, som reglerar människornas rättigheter och däremot svarande skyldigheter och som själv utrustas med gudomlig kvalifikation. Den är absolut gällande.” 394 Hägerström,“Principundersökning,” pp. 215-220;“Fundamental Problems,” pp. 355361. 395 Cf.Hägerström’s own distinction between inner obligations (obligations proper) and external obligations (legal obligations).Hägerström,Stat och rätt, p.113-144and238-240. 6 . 5. 1 the orig in of the idea of a pe r sonally commanding legal orde r
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