Description
Book SynopsisThe 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.
Trade ReviewWith 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 *
Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 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