The Principles of Social Order: Selected Essays of Lon L. Fuller

by Kenneth Winston

Overview

Lon Fuller coined the term "eunomics" for "the study of good order and workable social arrangements." The essays in this volume—representing most of the work of his mature years—are his "exercises in eunomics." They are studies of the principal forms of legal order, including contract, adjudication, mediation, legislation, and administration. In addition, the volume includes several essays on legal education and the ethics of lawyering. Fuller thought of lawyers as "architects of social structure," that is, creators and managers of the various forms of legal order. These responsibilities require close attention to problems of institutional design, in which the concern is with ends as well as means. Accordingly, Fuller believed that legal education should shift from the analysis of appellate court cases to a problem-solving orientation, attending to the conditions for "orderly, fair, and decent" governance. In a lecture on freedom published for the first time in this edition, Fuller develops the idea that the forms of legal order are the diverse vehicles by which freedom is effectively exercised in society.

Lon Fuller taught contracts and jurisprudence at the Harvard Law School from 1939 to 1972, where he was Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence. His writings, such as "The Case of the Speluncean Explorers," are classics of the legal literature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781841132341
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/01/2002
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Kenneth Winston is Lecturer in Ethics and Assistant to the Dean for Special Projects on International Ethics and Diversity,at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Editorial Reviews

These essays on "eunomics" (defined as "the study of good order and workable social arrangements") examine the main forms of legal order, including the contract, adjudication, mediation, legislation, and administration. Presenting lawyers as organizational architects and social managers, this collection also addresses issues related to legal philosophy, legal education, and professional ethics. Fuller taught contracts and jurisprudence at the Harvard Law School from 1939 to 1972. The volume contains 13 of his essays, as well as a letter to Thomas Reed Powell, a bibliography of his work, and an introductory essay by the editor. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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