The Path of the Law and its Influence: The Legacy of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr

by Steven J. Burton

Overview

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) is, arguably the most important American jurist of the twentieth century, and his essay The Path of the Law, first published in 1898, is the seminal work in American legal theory. This volume brings together some of the most distinguished legal scholars from the United States and Canada to examine competing understandings of The Path of the Law and its implications for contemporary American jurisprudence. For the reader's convenience, the essay is republished in an Appendix. The book will be of interest to professionals and students in the philosophy, history, economics, and sociology of law.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521630061
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/18/2000
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Law
Pages:	370
Product dimensions:	6.34(w) x 9.33(h) x 1.02(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; List of contributors; Introduction Steven J. Burton; 1. Law as a vocation: Holmes and the lawyer's path Robert W. Gordon; 2. The bad man and the good lawyer David Luban; 3. Why practice needs ethical theory: particularism, principle and bad behaviour Martha C. Nussbaum; 4. Theories, anti-theories and norms: comment on Nussbaum Dan M. Kahan; 5. Traversing Holmes's path toward a jurisprudence of logical form Scott Brewer; 6. Holmes on the logic of the law Thomas C. Grey; 7. Holmes versus Hart: the bad man in legal theory Stephen R. Perry; 8. The bad man and the internal point of view Scott J. Shapiro; 9. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., and William James: the bad man and the moral life Catherine Peirce Wells; 10. Emerson and Holmes: serene skeptics Sanford Levinson; 11. The path dependence of the law Clayton P. Gillette; 12. Changing the path of the law Gillian K. Hadfield; 13. Holmes, economics and classical realism Brian Leiter; 14. Comment on Brian Leiter's 'Holmes, Economics and Classical Realism' Jody S. Kraus; Appendix: the path of the law (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.); Index.

Editorial Reviews

"this is a valuable contribution for anyone interested in the philosophy of law." Choice

"...interesting, eccentric, learned, epigrammatic..." Appellate Practice Journal

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