Jurisprudence

by Suri Ratnapala

Jurisprudence is about the nature of law and justice. It embraces studies and theories from a range of disciplines such as history, sociology, political science, philosophy, psychology and even economics. Why do people obey the law? How does law serve society? What is law's relation to morality? What is the nature of rights? This book introduces and critically discusses the major traditions of jurisprudence. Written in a lucid and accessible style, Suri Ratnapala considers a wide range of views, bringing conceptual clarity to the debates at hand. From Plato and Aristotle to the medieval scholastics, from Enlightenment thinkers to postmodernists and economic analysts of law, this important volume examines the great philosophical debates and gives insight into the central questions concerning law and justice.

390 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2009

Reviews

[Colm Gillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is basically an encyclopaedia of the major schools of jurisprudence within Western thought. It was written quite well. The first half of the book flowed but the lattter half was a bit all over the place. The structure could have been re-thought. There were times when the author gave a personal opinion as opposed to analysing the particular system of jurisprudence. The book could do with certain revisions but generally serves as a useful handbook for jurisprudence.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book critically assesses the major schools of jurisprudential thought throughout history and to the present, from Plato and Aristotle to Enlightenment and economic analysts. The book challenges students to reconsider their moral intuitions in light of established theories. Highly Recommended!

[Lloyd Carman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not incredibly comprehensive but gave a well-structured rundown of the main contributions to the field.