Eugen Ehrlich

Eugen Ehrlich was a legal scholar and sociologist who believed that society’s informal rules and customs, known as "living law," significantly influence how laws are applied and understood. He argued that beyond written statutes, the real functioning of law depends on social mores, traditions, and communal practices. Ehrlich’s work emphasized studying law as a social phenomenon embedded in everyday life, highlighting that legal systems are shaped by society’s values and behaviors rather than only formal legislation. His ideas have influenced the fields of sociology of law and legal anthropology.