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Philosophy of Law: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

Raymond Wacks

February 2014

ISBN: 9780199687008

168 pages
Paperback
174x111mm

In Stock

Very Short Introductions

Price: £8.99

The concept of law lies at the heart of our social and political life, shaping the character of our community and underlying issues from racism and abortion to human rights and international war. The revised edition of this Very Short Introduction examines the central questions about law's relation to justice, morality, and democracy.

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Description

The concept of law lies at the heart of our social and political life, shaping the character of our community and underlying issues from racism and abortion to human rights and international war. The revised edition of this Very Short Introduction examines the central questions about law's relation to justice, morality, and democracy.

  • A lively and accessible introduction to the social, moral, and cultural foundations of law
  • Takes a broad scope spanning philosophy, law, politics, economics, and discusses a wide range of topics including women's rights, racism, and the environment
  • Approaches the great debates and controversies with clarity by avoiding technical language
  • Reveals the intriguing and challenging nature of legal philosophy
  • Part of the Very Short Introductions series - over six million copies sold worldwide

New to this edition

  • Incorporates the highly significant works of Ronald Dworkin, Scott Shapiro, John Finnis, and Neil McCormick
  • Includes a new section on legal realism
  • Includes new material on historical and anthropological jurisprudence
  • Further reading section has been revised and updated

About the Author(s)

Raymond Wacks, Emeritus Professor of Law and Legal Theory

Raymond Wacks is Emeritus Professor of Law and Legal Theory. His areas of interest are legal theory, privacy, and human rights, and he has published numerous books and articles on various aspects of law, including Understanding Jurisprudence: An Introduction to Legal Theory (OUP, 2012), Law: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2008), and Privacy: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, 2010).

Table of Contents

    Introduction
    1:Natural law
    2:Legal positivism
    3:Dworkin: the moral integrity of law
    4:Rights and justice
    5:Law and society
    6:Critical legal theory
    7:Understanding law: a very short epilogue
    References
    Further reading

Reviews

"With an admirable and elegant economy of expression - which compromises neither subtlety nor nuance - Ray Wacks has written in Philosophy of Law: A Very Short Introduction, a juristic gem that not only shines with clarity but sparkles with insight on topics as diverse as natural law, rights theory, utilitarianism, the sociology of the law, critical legal studies and law-and-economics. An indispensable introduction for the student of legal philosophy, as well as a sound and reliable guide for the seasoned scholar, Wacks' Philosophy of Law makes a knock-down case, concisely and capaciously, for the absolute centrality of jurisprudence to the study of law." - Professor William MacNeil, Griffith Law School

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