Abstract

The purpose of the study is to find out the place of the philosophy of law as scientific knowledge of legal reality in the system of formation of consciousness and legal consciousness of society. The relevance of the work lies in the need to explore the importance of the philosophy of law as a reflection of the legal reality of society in its theoretical aspect, the place and significance of the philosophy of law in creating the socio-cultural discourse of our time; it is necessary to identify how this knowledge can and should respond to the challenges of our time. The article considers the need to study the importance of the philosophy of law in the process of the formation of consciousness and legal consciousness of the individual and to understand how the philosophy of law, fulfilling its direct purpose of studying the ontology of law, can participate in overcoming the permanently existing crises in society. The results of the analysis made it possible to find out that the philosophy of law, fulfilling its many functions, becomes the fundamental basis for the formation of consciousness and legal awareness of society. It was found that such functions of legal philosophy as educational and value-oriental build a system of individual and collective priorities of values and logically substantiate their importance and universality for the existence of man and society. It is analyzed that the philosophy of law helps to establish a connection between one’s own individual experience of legal understanding and acquired scientific knowledge. It is proved that a theoretical study of legal reality models by the philosophy of law as a branch of scientific knowledge about the essence of law occupies a significant place in the system of studying social values. The conclusions of the work prove that, plunging into the legal system, the philosophy of law contributes to the development of the individual ability of a person to critical thinking and subjective assessment of acquired knowledge. The significance of philosophical and legal consciousness as one of the factors for overcoming permanently existing crises in society is established. The use of the philosophy of law as a methodology for the assimilation of legal reality contributes to the formation and constant reproduction of the ability to process information on the principles of justice, equality and respect for cultural diversity.