Law in the First Person Plural: Roots, Concepts, Topics (Elgar Studies in Legal Theory) - Hardcover

Van Roermund, Bert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1788976436 ISBN 13: 9781788976435

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, 2020

Synopsis

The first-person plural - 'we, ourselves' - is the hallmark of a democracy under the rule of law in the modern age. Exploring the roots of this 'rule of recognition', Bert van Roermund offers an in-depth reading of Rousseau's work, focusing on its most fundamental leitmotif: the sovereignty of the people.

  Providing an innovative understanding of Rousseau's politico-legal philosophy, this book illustrates the legal significance of plural agency and what it means for a people to act together: What do people share when using the word 'we'? What makes a people's actions political? And what exactly is 'bodily' about their joint commitment? Testing these ideas in three controversial modern debates - bio-technology, immigrant rights and populism - Van Roermund offers a critical assessment of 'political theology' in contemporary legal environments and establishes a new interpretation of joint action as bodily entrenched.

  Incisive and cutting-edge, this book is crucial reading for scholars of jurisprudence and legal and political philosophy, particularly those with a focus on Rousseauian theory. Students of jurisprudence and constitutional theory will also benefit from its philosophical and political insights, as well as its discussions of pressing real-world issues.

About this title

About the Author

Bert van Roermund, Honorary Professor Emeritus of Philosophy of Law, Department of Public Law and Governance, Tilburg University Law School, the Netherlands

Edition details

• Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1788976436
• ISBN 13: 9781788976435
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304