BASIC APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING THE SOURCE OF LAW

The author of this article defines three basic approaches of modern theoretical jurisprudence regarding the meaning and content of the category «source of law», analyzes the argumentation of each scientific position, determines its practical significance. Conclusions about the importance of the polysemantic meaning of the category «source of law» for the development of legal science and practice, about the importance of developing a willed approach to the source of law within the framework of the modern willed theory of law-making are made. The author draws attention to the traditional complexity of this issue and to the integrative nature of many modern theoretical legal studies in this area. An important result of the study is the question of whether the content of the category «source of law» contains additional elements that are not given due attention from the point of view of traditional approaches (monistic and pluralistic). It is suggested that the complication of the content and construction of the “source of law” not only will not add additional complexity to the understanding of the corresponding category but will be of great practical importance. The author brings up for discussion the triple-united concept of the formal origin of law and declares the category «morphology of law» for use in modern general and sectoral theory of law.