The article’s primary focus is an inquiry into the scientific and didactic potential of the history of political and legal doctrines. The text is divided into two sections. The initial and more extensive section draws upon contemporary interest in the practical philosophy of Aristotle, as it analyses his concept of practical wisdom (phronesis). It is argued that the specificity of this kind of knowledge (its time-sensitivity and the stress put upon human action) makes it possible to include history as an important aspect of the education of lawyers. The second part of the article presents a detailed account of the didactic practices employed in the teaching of the subject “History of Political and Legal Doctrines” at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University.