The Role of Philosophical and Legal Ideas of the Middle Ages in the Formation and Development of the Rule of Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31558/2786-5835.2025.1.4Keywords:
historical and legal aspect, principles of law, rule of law, Middle Ages, law, law, state, social regulators, human rights, freedom of worldviewAbstract
The article is devoted to the study of the genesis of the rule of law principle and the role of philosophical and legal ideas of the Middle Ages in this process. Crisis processes taking place in the modern world (wars, pandemics, economic crises), among other things, have the consequence of destroying the established system of values, replacing concepts and principles. And turning to the origins of the rule of law principle allows us to analyze the objective and subjective prerequisites for its formation, understand its deep essence, and rethink its content considering modern experience. The purpose of the article is to summarize the main philosophical and legal ideas of the Middle Ages regarding nature, place and role of law and substantiate on this basis their significance for the modern understanding of the rule of law, taking into account trends and prospects for its implementation in the legal system of society. A retrospective analysis of the main philosophical and legal ideas of the Middle Ages that had a decisive influence on the development of the rule of law (in particular, the legal ideas of A. Augustine, F. Aquinas, M. Paduan, N. Machiavelli, F. Guicciardini) is carried out. Special attention is paid to the coverage of these issues in foreign philosophical and legal literature. Based on the analysis, it is concluded that the Middle Ages as a stage of development of the rule of law principle is characterized by ambiguity in the perception of law and state, since it demonstrates the transition from the dominance of the theological approach in the early period to «secularization» in the late one. A well-founded conclusion in the literature is supported regarding the recognition of the gap between religious and secular authorities as the main event that led to the emergence of the idea of the rule of law. It is noted that it was during the Middle Ages that the foundations of the modern understanding of the rule of law were laid, and the first attempts were made to establish normative guarantees and mechanisms for the protection of human rights and freedoms, restrictions on state power, professional and independent justice.
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