The Authority Of Law By Joseph Raz (Second Edition)

The Authority Of Law By Joseph Raz, Second Edition

This famous collection of essays, first published in 1979, has influenced philosophical thinking on the nature of law and its relationship to morality for decades. Raz starts by delving into the concept of authority and what it takes for law to claim moral authority. He then goes on to offer a foundational argument for legal positivism, detailing the essence of law and legal institutions. Raz then explores the areas of legal philosophy that have been considered as imbued with moral values, such as the social functions of law, the ideal of the rule of law, and the adjudicative role of the courts, within this framework.

The book's final section is devoted to determining a citizen's correct moral attitude toward the law. Raz investigates whether citizens have a moral obligation to follow the law and whether they have the right to disagree. Two appendices, introduced for the revised edition, expand on Raz's views on the character of law, providing a further interaction with Hans Kelsen's work as well as a response to Robert Alexy's legal positivism objections.
This new edition makes one of the fundamental works of modern legal philosophy more approachable, and it's a great match for Raz's new collection, Between Authority and Interpretation.

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