Written by an international assembly of distinguished philosophers and legal theorists, The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Law and Legal Theorybrings into focus the central contemporary themes and issues in the area. Each of the 23 essays incorporates essential background material and advances key arguments. Topics include legal positivism, natural law theory, critical legal theory, American Legal Realism, feminist legal theory, criminal law, contract law, tort law, evidence, obligation, theories of rights, punishment, legal reasoning, objectivity, theories of law, continental perspectives on law, and many others.

“Golding and Edmundson have assembled many of the most luminous figures in legal theory to write deep and totally original essays on a variety of central jurisprudential topics. The authors are the right people writing on the right subjects, and this book is likely to become a standard source for many years to come.”

Frederick Schauer, Harvard University

“In addition to offering excellent introductions to the central topics of legal philosophy, the articles in this volume are in their own right distinguished scholarly contributions to the field. Students and specialists alike will find the book to be of great interest.”

Stephen Perry, New York University School of Law

“This is a Guide that actually guides. All the contributors provide excellent routemaps, sometimes across very tricky terrain. At the same time, many of the contributors open up new paths and new vistas. The result is a book that works at more than one level: accessible secondary literature for those just mastering the subject as well as challenging primary literature for those already steeped in it.”

John Gardner, University of Oxford

"Convincing, lively, coherent, applied, unpretentious, even though within a predominantly western paradigm, this guide is real value for money. It is a guide not just to facts and ideas but also to method; in addition it will serve as a portal for collection managers to a wide range of must-haves for the library."

Stuart Hannabuss, Aberdeen Business School, Aberdeen

"The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Law and Legal Theory" is a handy guide to the state of play in contemporary philosophy of law and legal theory.

Comprises 23 essays critical essays on the central themes and issues of the philosophy of law today, written by an international assembly of distinguished philosophers and legal theorists

Each essay incorporates essential background material on the history and logic of the topic, as well as advancing the arguments

Represents a wide variety of perspectives on current legal theory

The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Law and Legal Theoryis a handy guide to the state of play in contemporary philosophy of law and legal theory.

• Comprises 23 essays critical essays on the central themes and issues of the philosophy of law today, written by an international assembly of distinguished philosophers and legal theorists

• Each essay incorporates essential background material on the history and logic of the topic, as well as advancing the arguments

• Represents a wide variety of perspectives on current legal theory

Martin P. Goldingis Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Law at Duke University, where he directs the joint law-philosophy program. His books include Philosophy of Law(1975),Legal Reasoning(1984), and Free Speech on Campus(2000). He is also editor of Jewish Law and Legal Theory(1994).

William A. Edmundsonis Professor of Law and of Philosophy at Georgia State University. He is author of Three Anarchical Fallacies(1998) and An Introduction to Rights(2004), and editor of The Duty to Obey the Law(1999). He is General Editor of the book series, Cambridge Introductions to Law and Philosophy.

Notes on Contributors.

Introduction.

Part I: Contending Schools of Thought.

Part II: Doctrinal Domains and Their Philosophical Foundations.

Part III: Perennial Topics.

Part IV: Continental Perspectives.

Part V: Methodological Concerns.

Index