Legal theory is often described as an analytical sub-discipline of legal philosophy. However, contemporary legal theory has distanced itself from this historically grounded starting point and therefore requires a theoretical repositioning. Marietta Auer argues that current legal theory serves as an interdisciplinary resource for the multidisciplinary renewal of legal science, utilizing methods and insights from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, which extend far beyond analytical legal philosophy while still relying on philosophical foundations. Legal theory can thus be defined as a philosophical theory of multidisciplinary legal science. Marietta Auer teaches civil law and legal philosophy in Giessen. Her research focuses on the history of ideas in private law and interdisciplinary private law research.