The Shape of Time to Come

This article examines the teleological legal method developed by Per Olof Ekelöf in postwar Sweden, situating it within broader intellectual and historical debates on law, time, and justice. Responding to a perceived crisis in legal science, Ekelöf proposed a forward-looking interpretive framework that empowered judges to resolve cases with society's best interests at heart. Drawing on logical reasoning and procedural pragmatism, his method envisioned law not merely as a tool for adjudication but as a mechanism for shaping future society. Through a legal-historical analysis of Ekelöf's writings, the article reveals how his teleological approach embodied a distinct temporal orientation – one rooted in postwar welfare ideals and scientific optimism. It argues that while the procedural techniques remain influential, the future-oriented ethos that once animated them has largely faded from contemporary legal discourse. By recovering the temporal and normative dimensions of Ekelöf's method, the article contributes to a deeper understanding of how legal reasoning can engage with the future as a site of justice and societal transformation.