The Magical Element in the Law
The Magical Element in the Law
Some Considerations in the Light of Karl Olivecrona’s Legal Theory
Abstract
This article deals with a subject that in spite of its familiarity has to date received little attention from scholars of Olivecrona’s work. Indeed, it is often common, when discussing Olivecrona’s legal theory, to mention that the latter makes use of the magical view to explain, from an empirical standpoint, the suggestive force of the law. The topic, however, is not usually examined in depth, with a small number of exceptions. In these lines, we will attempt to show how Olivecrona develops this topic and emphasise the importance of this so as to, on the one hand, reach a proper understanding of his theory, and on the other, offer a critique of it.