Philosophy of law
Traditions by region
Philosophy of law is a branch of philosophy that examines the line of law and law's relationship to other systems of norms, particularly ethics as well as political philosophy. It asks questions like "What is law?", "What are the criteria for legal validity?", and "What is the relationship between law and morality?" Philosophy of law and jurisprudence are often used interchangeably, though jurisprudence sometimes encompasses forms of reasoning that fit into economics or sociology.
Philosophy of law can be sub-divided into analytical jurisprudence and normative jurisprudence. Analytical jurisprudence aims to define what law is and what this is the not by identifying law's fundamental features. Normative jurisprudence investigates both the non-legal norms that sort law and the legal norms that are generated by law and assist human action.