In addition to his practical definition of legal science, Stahl describes the different aspects of legal science in a way that leaves no doubt about the positivistic basis of his theory.The scientific knowledge of law is characterized by three different types of organically interacting knowledge that condition and are conditioned by one another.203 First, there is knowledge of the individual legal rules, which is a purely empirical type of legal knowledge. Second, knowledge of the leading principles of law: “…sondern die besondere Natur und der Trieb der Rechtsinstitute. Wie die einzelnen Normen hieraus als aus ihrer bestimmenden Ursache hervorgehen, darin besteht ihre Erkenntnis aus Principien”204 - in other words, knowledge of an historical and causal nature. Finally, there is systematic and contextual knowledge, connecting the different elements of law into an organic unity. However, these three types of knowledge must be supplemented by technical skills such as exegesis and hermeneutics in order to fulfil its purpose, which is the advancement of a practical legal science.Taken together with Stahl’s definitions of law, legal concepts, and the legal system the legal method makes legal science a practical and non-metaphysical activity, and by demonstrating the ontological union of all aspects of law (through the observation of the inherent incongruities of natural law) Stahl effectively distances legal science from the metaphysical speculations of times past.205 a ca l l f o r s c i e n t i f i c p u r i t y 615 “Die Rechtswissenschaft ist eine praktischeWissenschaft, es ist ihr nicht um die bloße Einsicht in das Recht zu thun, sie wird betrieben, und das Recht anzuwenden. Darum hat sie zu ihrem Gegenstande das geltende (positive) Recht eines bestimmtenVolkes zu einer bestimmten Zeit.”202 202 Stahl, Phil. d. Rechts 2.1, p. 169. 203 Ibid., pp. 169-179. 204 Ibid., p. 170. 205 Ibid., pp. 109-169. See also Stahl, Phil. d. Rechts 1, p. 188. In which Stahl questions the theoretical cognizability of natural law.
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