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Quick Revision Notes (QRN) : Jurisprudence for CLAT PG 2027

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Shruti chauhan17 October 20261 min read

These Jurisprudence Quick Revision Notes are designed to help CLAT PG 2027 and other LL.M. entrance exam aspirants revise important legal concepts efficiently. Cover key schools of jurisprudence, prominent jurists, legal theories, and fundamental principles through concise, exam-oriented notes. Use this quick revision resource to strengthen your understanding of Jurisprudence and revise important topics before your law entrance examination.

Natural Law School  and Philosophical School of Jurisprudence

PhilosopherFamous Work(s)Known for
Heraclitus [535 - 475 BC]
Laid down the foundations of Natural Law
Socrates[470 - 399 BC]

Analytical (Imperative/Positive) Law School of Jurisprudence

PhilosopherFamous Work(s)Known for
Jeremy Bentham [1747 - 1832]Limits of Jurisprudence Defined (1945; Posthumously)Theory of LegislationAn Introduction to the Principles of Morals and LegislationLaid down the foundation of positivism in the modern sense of the word.Theory of Utilitarian IndividualismHedonistic Theory (Of Pain and Pleasure): Quantified through Felicific Calculus Divided Jurisprudence into: Expositorial Jurisprudence and  Censorial JurisprudenceFour goals (for a law to be upheld): subsistence, abundance, equality, and securityCalled Natural Law “nonsense upon stilts”.

Historical Law School of Jurisprudence

PhilosopherFamous Work(s)Known for
Montesquieu[1689-1755]The Spirit of the Laws (1750)Laid down the foundation of comparative and sociological jurisprudence.National character of lawsGave the Theory of Separation of Powers
Friedrich Carl Von Savigny [1779 - 1861]

Sociological School (Functional Law School) of Jurisprudence

PhilosopherFamous Work(s)Known for
Auguste Comte [1798–1857]The Course on Positive Philosophy (1830–1842)The Early Writings (1820–1829)Founder and Father of the science of SociologyTheory of Scientific Positivism
Rudolph Von Ihering [1818-1892]

Realist Law School of Jurisprudence

PhilosopherFamous Work(s)Known for
John C. Gray [1839-1915]The Nature and Sources of the Law (1909)Law is what the judges declare. All law is Judge-made law.
Oliver Holmes [1841-1935]

Read about Jurisprudence and Schools from here.

Miscellaneous

PhilosopherFamous Work(s)Known for
Benjamin N. CardozoThe Nature of the Judicial Process (1921)The Growth of the Law (1924)
Jerome Hall
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Natural Law School  and Philosophical School of JurisprudenceAnalytical (Imperative/Positive) Law School of JurisprudenceHistorical Law School of JurisprudenceSociological School (Functional Law School) of JurisprudenceRealist Law School of JurisprudenceMiscellaneous
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‘Virtue is knowledge’ and ‘whatever is not virtuous is sin’.Founder of Western Philosophy
Plato[428 - 348 BC]ApologyRepublicSymposiumThe Trial and Death of SocratesDoctrine of Forms
Aristotle[384 - 322 BC]Prior AnalyticsPoliticsFather of Natural LawFounded Natural Law as a ‘Reason’ - “Law is reason free from all passions”Divided justice into two parts: Distributive justice and Corrective justice
Zeno[334 - 262 BC]
Founded Stoicism
Cicero[106 - 43 BC]De OratoreDe Re Publica
St. Thomas Aquinas[1225 - 1274]Disputed Questions on Truth (1256–1259)Summa contra Gentiles (1259–1265)Summa Theologica (1265–1274)Fourfold Classification of Law, namely: Law of God, Natural Law, Law of Scriptures, and Human Laws.Dictates of ReasoningStrengthened the role of the Church within Natural Law
Hugo Grotius[1583 – 1645]Jure Belli ac Pacis or The Law of War and Peace (1625)Father of International LawFather of Philosophical School of LawFirst person to separate  Jurisprudence from ReligionPropounded ‘right reason’
Thomas Hobbes [1588 - 1679]The Elements of Law (1640)De Cive [On the Citizen] (1642) Leviathan (1651)Theory of AbsolutismUpheld the principle ‘Might is always right’
John Locke[1632 - 1704]Two Treatises of Government (1689)Father of Liberalism3 Cardinal Rights- Life, Liberty, and Property
Jean Jacques Rousseau[1712 - 1778]A Discourse on the Origins of Inequality (1755) The Social Contract (1762)Theory of General will
Immanuel Kant[1724 - 1804]The Critique of Pure Reason (1781)Critique of Practical Reason (1788)Critique of Judgment (1790)The theory of ‘Categorical Imperative’ Principle of ‘Innate Rights’.
Johann Fichte [1762 - 1814]Announcement (1800)Commentaries on Schelling's System of Transcendental Idealism and Presentation of My System of Philosophy (1800–1801)German IdealismExplained the conditions under which revealed religion is possibleGave the triad of thesis, antithesis and synthesis of ideas
Friedrich Hegel [1770 - 1831]The Phenomenology of Spirit (1807)Elements of the Philosophy of Right (1820)Propounded the theory, “rational alone is real”Evolution with laissez faireGave the ‘dialectic method’
Rudolph Stammler[1856 - 1938]The Theory of Justice (1925)Natural Law with variable contentDivided law into idea of law and concept of law
Lon Fuller[1902 - 1978]The law in Quest of Itself (1940)The Morality of law (1964)Anatomy of Law (1968)Inner Morality of Law
John Rawls[1921 - 2002]A Theory of Justice (1971)Justice as Fairness (1985)Reconciliation of Liberty and EqualityConcepts of ‘Original Position’ and ‘Veil of Ignorance’
John Austin [1790-1859]Province of Jurisprudence Determined (1832)A Plea for Constitution (1859)Father of Analytical School of JurisprudenceFather of English jurisprudenceStudy of Jus Positivum - Positive Law or law strictly so-calledImperative Theory of Law3 essentials of Positive Law - Command, Sanction, SovereignConcept of ‘sovereignty’ was influenced by HobbesClassified General and Particular JurisprudenceClassified law into: Declaratory, Repealing and Imperfect
Holland [1835 - 1926]
Jurisprudence is the formal science of positive law
Salmond [1862-1924]Jurisprudence (1916)Defined Jurisprudence as First Principles of Civil lawMade the distinction between Jurisprudence in the ‘generic’ and ‘specific’ sense
Hans Kelsen [1881-1973]General Theory of Law and State (1945)Pure Theory Of Law (1934)Pure Theory of LawGrundnorm (Fundamental norm)Theory of InterpretationLaw is a normative scienceLegal order is a pyramid of normsNo difference between Public and Private law. No difference between a natural and juristic person.Called Sociological School ‘metajuristic’.
H.L.A. Hart [1907-1992]The Concept of Law (1961)Law, Liberty and Morality (1963)Jurisprudence as a system of rulesLegal system arises from a combination of Primary and Secondary RulesMorality is “minimum content of natural law”Rule of Recognition
The Law of PossessionThe History of Roman Law in the Middle AgesThe Roman Law of Persons as Subjects of Jural RelationsOn the Vocation of Our Time for Legislation and Jurisprudence
Founder of Historical SchoolTheory of Volkgeist (general will or spirit of people) Known as the “Darwinian before Darwin and a Sociological before sociologist”Introduced national character of law
Puchta[1798 - 1856]Gewohnheitsrecht (Customary law)Explained that neither the people nor the state alone can make and formulate laws
Sir Henry Maine [1822-1888]Ancient Law (1861)Popular GovernmentStatus to ContractIntroduced a comparative method of study in lawPropounded that the development of law takes place through 4 stages. Pater familia is the first social organization.Static societies and progressive societies.
Gierke[1841-1921]
Theory of Reality of Group Personality
Law as a Means to an EndThe Struggle for Law
Gave the concept of social utilitarianismJurisprudence of InterestTheory of Social Control
Herbert Spencer [1820 - 1903]
Organic Theory of SocietyEvolutionary concept of history
Joseph Kohler [1849 - 1919]
Social Purpose of Law
Leon Duguit [1859 - 1928]Treatise on Constitutional Law (1921)The Law and the StateTheory of Social SolidarityOnly right which any man can possess is the right to always do his duty
Eugen Ehrlich [1862 - 1922]Fundamental Principles of Sociology of LawConcept of ‘Living Law’Society is made by ‘men in association’
Roscoe Pound [1870-1964]The Spirit of the Common Law (1921)An Introduction to the Philosophy of LawLaw and MoralsSocial Contract through LawThe father of Sociological JurisprudenceSocial EngineeringDivided interest into private, public and social interests.Law involves balancing of all competing interests in society5 Jural postulates
Julius Stone [1907-1985]Province and Function of Law (1946)Precedent and Law: Dynamics of Common Law Growth (1985)Defining Jurisprudence as ‘Lawyer’s Extraversion’

Bad Man TheoryPrediction theory of law: Law is nothing but prediction
Axel Hagerstorm [1868-1939]
Father of Scandinavian Realism
Jerome Frank [1889-1957]Law and the Modern Mind (1930)Was known as a “constructive legal sceptic”.Division of Realists into ‘rule skeptics’ and ‘fact skeptics’Judges do not make law, instead, they discover it.Certainty of law is a legal myth.
Karl Llewellyn [1893 - 1962]
Law is little more than putty in the hands of a judge.
Foundations of Jurisprudence
Integrative Jurisprudence
R. DworkinTaking Rights SeriouslyInterpretative Jurisprudence
BucklandSome Reflections on Jurisprudence
Laski
Jurisprudence is the eye of law
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