A DIMENSÃO JURÍDICA DA ORDENAÇÃO DA REALIDADE: O DIREITO COMO SÍMBOLO DA ORDEM NA CIÊNCIA POLÍTICA DE ERIC VOEGELIN
Philosophy of Law; Eric Voegelin; theory of symbols; Law and symbol; legal positivism; natural law.
Starting from the comprehensive analysis of Eric Voegelin's philosophy, the present thesis aims to demonstrate two hypotheses. First, that author's conception of Political Science, inseparable from his philosophy of History and consciousness, is based on the thesis that human understanding of reality is originally symbolic. Secondly, in his understanding, the law constitutes the main modality of symbolism for the ordering of reality, both in human conscience and in the sphere of life in society. In order to achieve this goal, the research highlights the crucial role that the study of law played in overcoming the paradigms of German State Theory (Staatslehre), and in also for his efforts to restore political science in its classic sense (episteme politike). Along this trajectory, three main modalities of legal symbols were identified in his body of work: the symbols ought, institution and right by nature.