In this paper we discuss L. Petrażycki’s idea of norm as a normative relation and show its repercussions in two perspectives connected to each other, in the legal theory in the framework of which it was originally introduced and where its role was straightforward, and in logic where it played a shadowy role of a fresh idea which in his expectation would have been the core of the novel logical theories capable of modelling reasoning in law and morals. We pay attention to the scholarly environment in which Petrażycki has proposed those ideas and to the unlucky fate of his academic legacy which is now being rediscovered.

The ability to think while using critical thinking skills is one of basic requirements imposed on the modern man. Contemporary Russia lacks the sustained tradition of critical thinking, and the understanding of its significance in the professional, educational and personally relevant spheres has not been developed. While in the first two fields, there have been positive changes in recent decades, the issue of the necessity of using critical thinking in vital situations is considered neither at theoretical nor at methodological level. In this article, based on implementation analysis of the principle of autonomy of the patient, the necessity and significance of applying critical thinking in vital situations are justified. Keywordscritical thinking, features of critical thinking, debates on critical thinking, informed consent, critical thinking and the principle of autonomy of the patientI.