The article deals with the analysis of the critical arguments of the historical law school representatives against the fundamentals of the natural law theory. The author gives a special focus to the ideological heritage of Samuel Pufendorf (1632-1694), one of the classics of the natural law (jus naturale) being rationalistically interpreted. In conclusion it is emphasized that the ideas of the noble scholar of the early German Enlightenment have been subjected to a very moderate criticism due to his innovative methodology in the study of political and legal phenomena, including historical and sociological approaches.