Natural law holds that there are rational objective limits to the power of rulers, the foundations of law are accessible through reason, and it is from these laws of nature that human laws gain force. Analytic jurisprudence rejects natural law's fusing of what law is and what it ought to be, espousing the use of a neutral point of view and descriptive language when referring to aspects of legal systems. It encompasses theories such as legal positivism and legal realism. Normative jurisprudence is concerned with evaluative theories of law, dealing with what the goal or purpose of law is and what moral or political theories provide a foundation for the law. It attempts to determine what the proper function of law should be, what sorts of acts should be subject to legal sanctions, and what sorts of punishment should be permitted. Sociological jurisprudence studies the nature and functions of law in the light of social scientific knowledge. It emphasises variation of legal phenomena between different cultures and societies. It relies especially on empirically-oriented social theory, but draws theoretical resources from diverse disciplines. Experimental jurisprudence seeks to investigate the content of legal concepts using the methods of social science, unlike the philosophical methods of traditional jurisprudence. The terms "philosophy of law" and "jurisprudence" are often used interchangeably, though jurisprudence sometimes encompasses forms of reasoning that fit into economics or sociology.
Natural law holds that there are rational objective limits to the power of rulers, the foundations of law are accessible through reason, and it is fro?m these laws of nature that human laws gain force. Analytic jurisprudence rejects natural law's fusing of what law is and what it ought to be, espousing the use of a neutral point of view and descriptive language when referring to aspects of legal systems. It encompasses theories such as legal positivism and legal realism. Normative jurisprudence is concerned with evaluative theories of law, dealing with what the goal or purpose of law is and what moral or political theories provide a foundation for the law. It attempts to determine what the proper function of law should be, what sorts of acts should be subject to legal sanctions, and what sorts of punishment should be permitted. Sociological jurisprudence studies the nature and functions of law in the light of social scientific knowledge. It emphasises variation of legal phenomena between different cultures and societies. It relies especially on empirically-oriented social theory, but draws theoretical resources from diverse disciplines. Experimental jurisprudence seeks to investigate the content of legal concepts using the methods of social science, unlike the philosophical methods of traditional jurisprudence. The terms "philosophy of law" and "jurisprudence" are often used interchangeably, though jurispruden!ce sometimes encompasses forms of reasoning that fit into economics or sociology.