The Cambridge Companion to the Philosophy of Law

An accessible, comprehensive, and high quality companion to legal philosophy written by a stellar cast of international contributors.

The book provides an accessible, comprehensive, and high quality introduction to the major themes of legal philosophy, written by a stellar international cast of contributors. The volume is an exceptional teaching tool, covering themes such as law's nature, the values it should serve, and issues within specific areas of law from crime to contract.What is the nature of law as a form of social order? What bearing do values like justice, human rights, and the rule of law have on law? Which values should law serve, and what limits must it respect in serving them? Are we always morally bound to obey the law? What are the philosophical problems that arise in specific areas of law, from criminal and tort law to contract law and public international law? The book provides an accessible, comprehensive, and high quality introduction to the major themes of legal philosophy written by a stellar international cast of contributors, including John Finnis, Martha Nussbaum, Fred Schauer, Onora O'Neill and Antony Duff. The volume is an exceptional teaching tool that provides a critical introduction to cutting-edge work in the philosophy of law.