Kelsen’s Legacy

This unique volume brings together leading legal academics and researchers from different legal traditions to discuss the work and impact of Hans Kelsen, the most influential legal philosopher with global reach.

This volume offers a comprehensive examination of Hans Kelsen’s legal and political philosophy, focusing on four central themes.

The first part analyses Kelsen’s theory of norms, including its periodisation and concepts of validity and coercion. The second part explores his perspectives on international law, addressing its structural analysis, primitive law characterisation, and teleology. The third part examines Kelsen’s theory of democracy, its relationship with the pure theory of law, collective will, and democratisation of the administration. The final part discusses Kelsen’s influence on the Vienna School of Legal Theory and its impact on case law and jurisprudence beyond Europe. This collection is essential for scholars and practitioners seeking to understand Kelsen’s legacy.