ABSTRACT
Sociology, which seeks to investigate ‘the causes and effects that arise
in social relations within communities’, burgeoned at the beginning of
the 20th century and attracted the attention of several leading jurists,
including Jhering, Ehrlich and Pound. They shared a view of law as, in
essence, a social phenomenon, functioning as an integrated system,
and reflecting society’s principles and aspirations. The contribution of
Roscoe Pound (1870-1964) – his sobriquet derives from his fame as
Dean of Harvard Law School – rests on the Theory of Interests and a
vision of law as a necessary instrument for the reconciliation and
harmonisation of conflicting and overlapping interests within society.
