A Theory of Legal Personhood
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:13th Aug '19
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Who, or what, is a 'person' according to the law? How did this understanding of personhood come about? In the twenty-first century, environmentalism, animal rights, artificial intelligence, and corporate personhood have compelled us to consider these questions once again. Legal personhood is a foundational concept of Western legal thought and A Theory of Legal Personhood seeks to go beyond contemporary debates, challenging our very understanding of legal personhood itself. Drawing on extensive research, scholarship, legislation, and court cases from around the globe, this book offers readers -- with or without previous knowledge -- new insights into legal personhood. It scrutinizes how personhood came to be understood synonymously with the holding of legal rights. It then posits that a better understanding of legal personhood is as a cluster property. Finally, it applies this new theory to explain and structure the numerous debates surrounding legal personhood.
This book has arrived at a most opportune time. As courts and legislatures around the world are discussing the concept of legal personhood in relation to entities such as the natural environment, nonhuman animals, artificial intelligence and human foetuses, there is urgent need for clarity on what the concept means. Dr Kurki's book offers the most comprehensive analysis of this subject in a decade. Orthodoxies are critiqued, a new account of personhood is propounded and its practical implications are explored in a rigorous yet accessible manner. Essential reading for scholars and lawyers alike who have an interest in the topic. * Dr Joe Wills, University of Leicester *
ISBN: 9780198844037
Dimensions: 241mm x 162mm x 20mm
Weight: 510g
242 pages