This is an account of the jurisprudence expounded by the Swedes Axel Hägerström, Wilhelm Lundstedt, Karl Olivecrona and the Dane Alf Ross. The characteristic features of this school of legal science are the firm rejection of idealism and conceptualism and a sociological approach to legal phenomena. Severe criticism has been directed against the way in which, particularly, Swedish Social Democrats made use of the tenets of Realism in justifying legislative measures in certain areas.