Evolutionary Patterns of Law

Abstract

The article analyses social relations regulated by law in the context of identifying the patterns of law that have developed in the course of historical development. So far, the author has determined 10 patterns. They are all being examined and illustrated in detail, including: Increasing the specific weight (density) of legal regulation, broadening the scope of legal regulation, strengthening the specialization of legal regulation, increasing specification of law, accelerating dynamism of law, increasing degree of abstractiveness of law, increasing share of the general interest in law, proliferation of regulatory norms, increasing legal-technical capacity of law, and the unification of law. It is concluded that evolutionary patterns show that the importance and regulatory power of law are steadily growing.