Law and aesthetics

Sample

Alan Brudner

"Alan Brudner suggests a conception of fundamental justice that liberals of competing philosophic schools may accept as fulfilling their own basic commitments. Employing this conception, he distils the essentials of liberal constitutionalism from the jurisprudence and practice of contemporary liberal-democratic states. Brudner argues that the model liberal-democratic constitution is best understood as a unity of three constitutional frameworks: libertarian, egalitarian, and communitarian. Each is based on a particular conception of public reason. Brudner criticizes these frameworks insofar as their organizing conceptions claim to be fundamental and moves forward to suggest a Hegelian conception of public reason within which each framework is contained as a constituent element of a whole." "When viewed in the light of this conception, the liberal constitution embodies a surprising synthesis. It reconciles a commitment to individual liberty and freedom of conscience with the perfectionist idea that the state ought to cultivate a type of personality whose fundamental ends are the goods essential to dignity. Such a reconciliation, the author suggests, may attract competing liberalisms to a consensus on an inclusive conception of public reason under which political authority is validated for those who share a confidence in the individual's inviolable worth."--BOOK JACKET.

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Brian H. Bix

"Modern legal theory contains a wide range of approaches and topics from economic analysis to feminist legal theory to traditional analytical theories about justice. This variety of jurisprudential work has created a problem: students and theorists working in one tradition may have difficulty understanding the concepts and terminology of a different tradition. This book works to make terminology and ways of thinking accessible." "This dictionary covers topics from the 'autonomy of law' to the 'zero sum game', from 'autopoiesis' to 'wealth maximization', and from 'John Austin' to 'Ludwig Wittgenstein'. The most important concepts and ideas are presented in a simple dictionary format. There are also many longer entries, in which the initial definition gives an accessible explanation, but the entry goes on to give more detailed information about the history of an idea and the debates currently surrounding it."--Jacket.

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Matthew Stolick

"Matt Stolick presents a detailed social and scientific exploration of the social history of cannabis, the chemical makeup of the cannabis plant, and the effects of cannabis use. By offering a interdisciplinary look at this highly political issue, he articulates the reasoning behind the categorical rejection of legal cannabis use by the United States and other nations. Approaching the discussion of cannabis use from perspectives embedded within philosophy, political science, psychology, and neurobiology, Stolick provides an even-handed account of the scientific realities and social practicalities surrounding the use of cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes." "Drawing on the moral thought of Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Christianity, this book demonstrates the moral nature of cannabis use. Grounding discussion of cannabis use in both moral theory and scientific fact, this book gives readers a thorough understanding of the social and political issues that continue to dictate cannabis law."--Jacket.

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John Brigham

"Theoretically sophisticated, and consistently fascinating, Material Law integrates law and society, political science, and popular culture in a truly interdisciplinary fasion. Brigham examines how the meaning of law is influenced by politics, reviewing, for example, whether the authority of global law supersedes that of national law in the context of Anglo-American cultural colonialism. What emerges is a well-reasoned look at how the authority of law constitutes what we see as real in our lives"--Jacket.