Understanding Jurisprudence

Description

Written with students in mind, Professor Raymond Wacks brings legal theory to life through his lucid and entertaining style. The author has crafted a manageable guide, balancing concise introductions to the key theorists and core issues such as punishment and rights without ignoring the subtleties of the subject.
Seminal quotes from leading scholars are included to help students recognise the impact of their work, while extensive further reading suggestions at the end of each chapter invite students to explore the broad range of literature available on central topics. Each chapter concludes with a series of critical questions designed to encourage reader to think analytically about the law and the key debates which surround it.
This book is accompanied by online resources which includes multiple-choice questions with instant feedback to give students the chance to test their understanding.

About the Author
Professor Raymond Wacks has taught jurisprudence around the world for over thirty years. He has published more than twenty books and numerous articles on legal philosophy, the right of privacy, and human and animal rights. His books have been translated into several languages including Arabic, Greek, Chinese, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese, Thai, and Georgian.

Reviews

"Wacks has a remarkable ability to convey difficult concepts and ideas without distorting their meaning."
- Daniel Bansal, Lecturer in Law, Coventry University

"An admirably clear, extremely helpful, and accurate introduction to this formidable subject. The elegance of the writing and the breadth of knowledge - displayed here in such an easily accessible form - make it essential reading for every student of Jurisprudence."
- Stephen Guest, Emeritus Professor of Legal Philosophy, University College London

"The plentiful discussion topics and Wacks' delightful style make this an impressive read."
- William A. Edmundson, Regents' Professor of Law and of Philosophy, Georgia State University, Atlanta

"An excellent text which explains complex and difficult ideas in an accessible way."
- Christopher Essert, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen's University, Ontario

"Understanding Jurisprudence is a juristic gem that sparkles with insight and shines with clarity, shedding light on numerous challenging topics in a lucidly accessible style. It is an indispensable resource for student and scholar alike, and is a rarity-an academic text that is actually a pleasure to read!"
- William MacNeil, The Honourable John Dowd Chair in Law, Dean & Head of the School of Law and Justice, Southern Cross University, Australia.

Table of contents

1: What's it all about?
2: Natural law and morality
3: Classical legal positivism
4: Modern legal positivism
5: Law and moral legitimacy
6: Legal realism
7: Law and social theory
8: Historical and anthropological jurisprudence
9: Theories of justice
10: Rights
11: Why obey the law?
12: Why punish?
13: Critical legal theory
14: Feminist theory
15: Jurisprudence understood