How Judges Think (Pims – Polity Immigration and Society Series)
A distinguished and experienced appellate court judge, Richard A. Posner offers in this new book a unique and, to orthodox legal thinkers, a startling perspective on how judges and justices decide cases. When conventional legal materials enable judges to ascertain the true facts of a case and apply clear pre-existing legal rules to them, Posner argues, they do …
This is not a comforting book — it is a book about disturbing issues that are urgently important today and enduringly critical for the future. It rejects both “merit” and historical redress as principles for guiding public policy. It shows how “peace” movements have led to war and to needless casualties in those wars. It argues that “equality” …
International Relations in Political Thought: Texts from the Ancient Greeks to the First World War
This unique collection presents texts in international relations that range from Ancient Greece to the First World War. It is the largest anthology currently available and includes extracts from works by fifty thinkers, including Thucydides, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, and John Stuart Mill. The texts are organized into broadly chronological sections, each headed by an introduction placing the work …
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., has been called the greatest jurist and legal scholar in the history of the English-speaking world. In this collection of his speeches, opinions, and letters, Richard Posner reveals the fullness of Holmes’ achievements as judge, historian, philosopher, and master of English style. Thematically arranged, the volume covers a rich variety of subjects from aging …
Ethical Issues in the Courts: A Companion to Philosophical Ethics
Explore the real-world intersections of our legal system and important ethical problems.ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE COURTS: A COMPANION TO PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS. You’ll learn the ways the courts have ruled on issues such as abortion; euthanasia; assisted suicide; educating children; sex and marriage; gay rights; war, peace and pacifism; environmental rights; animal rights; freedom of expression; religious freedom; racial …
First published in 1980, Natural Law and Natural Rights is widely heralded as a seminal contribution to the philosophy of law, and an authoritative restatement of natural law doctrine. It has offered generations of students and other readers a thorough grounding in the central issues of legal, moral, and political philosophy from Finnis’s distinctive perspective. This new edition …
Legislation and Statutory Interpretation, (Concepts and Insights)
Suitable for students or practitioners, this authoritative overview of the legislative process and statutory interpretation moves smoothly and understandably between the theoretical and the practical. You’ll find in-depth discussion of such topics as theories of legislation and representation, electoral and legislative structures, extrinsic sources for statutory interpretation, and substantive canons of statutory interpretation. Reap the benefits of the …
This anthology of classical, contemporary, philosophical and legal essays/cases focuses on legal philosophy as its own subject—rather than being a part of social/political philosophy or applied ethics. The essays within this reader focus on how law is organized and the particular philosophical issues that it raises. The book requires students to think through actual debates–many of them still currently in the …
With its clear and entertaining writing style, Understanding Jurisprudence is the perfect guide for students new to legal theory and looking for an accessible introduction to the subject. Key theories and theorists are introduced in a compact and easy-to-read format, offering an engaging account of the central ideas without oversimplification. Key quotes from leading scholars are included throughout …
The Oxford Handbook of Behavioral Economics and the Law (Oxford Handbooks)
The past twenty years have witnessed a surge in behavioral studies of law and law-related issues. These studies have challenged the application of the rational-choice model to legal analysis and introduced a more accurate and empirically grounded model of human behavior. This integration of economics, psychology, and law is breaking exciting new ground in legal theory and the …