Vienna Lectures on Legal Philosophy, Volume 2: Normativism and Anti-normativism in Law - Paperback

by Christoph Bezemek (Editor), Michael Potacs (Editor), Alexander Somek (Editor)

This second volume of the Vienna Lectures on Legal Philosophy series presents 11 chapters which are dedicated to normativist and anti-normativist approaches to law.

The book focuses on the question: What is law? Is it a set of obligations imposed on courts and officials to guide their conduct and to assess the conduct of others? Or is it the result of settlements reached by opposing sides that accept arrangements and understandings to sustain peaceful cooperation?

If law is the former its significance and meaning are independent of a shifting constellation of forces; if it is not, then what the law says depends on the relative power and prestige of the actors involved.

With contributions from some of the leading scholars in the field, the collection presents a balanced and nuanced assessment of what is perhaps the most controversial debate in contemporary legal philosophy today.

Author Biography

Christoph Bezemek is Professor of Law at the University of Graz, Austria.
Michael Potacs is Professor of Law at the University of Vienna, Austria.
Alexander Somek is Professor of Law at the University of Vienna, Austria, and Global Affiliated Professor of Law at the University of Iowa, USA.