Mihailo Đurić (1925–2011)

Academic work and themes

Đurić's writing crossed boundaries between jurisprudence, ethics and history of ideas. He treated topics such as natural law, the role of conscience in legal practice, and the survival of classical philosophical questions in contemporary debates. His style blended close readings of ancient and modern texts with broader reflections on civic virtues and intellectual freedom.

Career, controversy and later years

As an influential teacher he shaped generations of jurists and philosophers in Yugoslavia and Serbia. In the 1970s Đurić became involved in a politically charged episode that led to his arrest and conviction by the authorities; he subsequently spent time away from teaching before later resuming scholarly work. Over his life he remained a vocal and sometimes contested public intellectual.

Legacy and influence

Đurić is remembered for bridging legal theory and philosophical inquiry, and for bringing classical perspectives into conversations about modern law and society. His essays and lectures contributed to intellectual life in Serbia and continue to be discussed by scholars of law, philosophy and political thought.

• Primary interests: legal philosophy, ethics, history of ideas
• Positions: professor at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law; member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
• Reputation: influential teacher, public intellectual, subject of controversies

For institutional context and further reading, see the entry of the Academy: Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.