'Global Bukovina': Gunther Teubner's Homage to Eugen Ehrlich

Abstract

Gunther Teubner’s theory of transnational, globalised and fragmented law is founded on the polycentric emergence of law in the context of social interactions. This article examines the link, established by Gunther Teubner himself, between his understanding and Eugen Ehrlich’s theory of ‘living law’. This link is analysed as the result of an opposition between two fundamental paradigms of legal theory: the ‘creationist’ understanding and the ‘evolutionist’ understanding of law. Gunther Teubner’s homage to Eugen Ehrlich contributes to revealing the critical power and current relevance of the thought of this founder of legal sociology. Based on the theories defended today by Gunther Teubner, Eugen Ehrlich’s work thus still seems useful for thinking about the contemporary state of law.