Psychological conception of law by P.V. Delarov

The paper deals with the evolution of Russian legal thought in the second half of the 19th century, an essential aspect of which was the emergence of psychological approaches to law. It was during this period that the formation of psychology as a science took place. Psychological arguments and research methods quickly mastered the sphere of legal awareness and legal understanding. The study examines the psychological concept of law formulated by P.V. Delarov. It appeared in the Russian legal literature several decades before the first works of L.I. Petrazhitsky. With the exception of some references to the legal views of P.V. Delarov, his scientific heritage turned out to be completely unexplored. However, it not only marks one of the first psychological theories of law in the pan-European context, but also clearly demonstrates the connection of legal psychologism, as a cognitive attitude and a principle of interpretation of law, with its philosophical and methodological foundations.