The concept of law lies at the heart of our social and political life, shaping the character of our community and underlying issues from racism and abortion to human rights and international war. But what actually is law? A set of naturally occurring moral principles, or simply rules agreed by a particular society? What is a 'right' and what rights should people actually have? Is law really colour-blind and gender-blind? Can the law truly tell us whether gay marriages are immoral, what's wrong with racism, or whether we should go to war? Revealing the intriguing and challenging nature of legal philosophy with clarity and enthusiasm, Raymond Wacks explores the notion of law and its role in our lives. Referring to key thinkers from Aristotle to Rawls, Bentham, Dworkin, H.L.A. Hart and Derrida, he looks at the central questions behind legal theory that have fascinated lawyers and philosophers - and anyone - who ever wondered about law's relation to justice, morality, and democracy.

Lon Fuller?s Case of the Speluncean Exp/ ~rers is the greatest fictitious legal case of all time. That is saying a lot, for it has some stiff competition. While its competitors may outdo it in courtroom drama, character development, or investigative suspense, none matches it in legal depth or dialectical agility It shows not what makes some lawyer?s caseload interesting, but what makes law itself interesting. It would not make a good movie; it is all ?talking heads.? In fact, the parts that would make a good movie - the events within the cave - are over and done with by the time Fuller begins his piece. Moreover, these events are not depicted with cinematic vivacity, but described after the fact with judicial precision and bland- ness. Fuller?s live Supreme Court justices tranquilly but rigorously show the complexity of the facts and the flexibility of legal reasoning. The live opinions focus on different factual details and legal precedents, and lit them into different background structures of legal and political principle. By these means Fuller crystallizes important conflicts of principle and illustrates the major schools of legal philosophy in his day. Fuller?s case has been called ?a classic in jurispru- dence,? ? a microcosm of this century?s debates,? and a ?breathtaking intellectual accomplishment.?* Although only half a century separates us from the date of Fuller?s essay, the legal landscape has changed profoundly. I have written nine new judicial opin- ions on his case, with roughly Fuller?s own objectives in view, hoping to explore important issues of principle and in the process to bring the depiction of legal philosophy up to date. While I would like to depict the major schools of legal philosophy today, giving each its due, there are a few obstacles that subtly constrain the project. Suber, Peter. Case of the Speluncean Explorers: Nine New Opinions. Florence, KY, USA: Routledge, 1998. p ix. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/cityu/Doc?id=2003075&ppg=9 Copyright ? 1998. Routledge. All rights reserved. Preface Introduction 1 Pt. I Lon Fuller's Case of the Speluncean Explorers 5 Opinion of Chief Justice Truepenny 7 Opinion of Justice Foster 10 Opinion of Justice Tatting 15 Opinion of Justice Keen 20 Opinion of Justice Handy 25 Opinion of Justice Tatting 31 Postscript 32 Pt. II Nine New Opinions 33 Opinion of Chief Justice Burnham 35 Opinion of Justice Springham 45 Opinion of Justice Tally 57 Opinion of Justice Hellen 64 Opinion of Justice Trumpet 73 Opinion of Justice Goad 79 Opinion of Justice Frank 89 Opinion of Justice Reckon 91 Opinion of Justice Bond 99 Index 108

波斯纳在本书中提出的理论仍然属于这个美国传统；但有所创新和推进。他通过理论的和实证的分析指出，美国实际上运行的民主和法治，都是实用主义的，而不是理想的。所谓理想的，在民主理论和实践中即该书着重讨论的慎议民主制，这是杜威式的民主，强调通过教育和提供信息来促使更我的人参与到民主生活中来，通过审慎的、知情的思考，做出决策；而在法律理论和实践上，就是法律形式主义，即相信通过一套法律的技能，依据预先确定的法律规则推演获得正确的法律决定。所谓实用主义的，在民主理论和实践中是熊彼特式的民主，它强调民主制中精英的作用；在法律实践上则是一种考虑所有相关因素关注重系统后果的实践性推理，必要时它甚至会因为策略而采用法律形式主义的修辞。

法律文化：方法還是其他（代序）／梁治平 增訂版前言 前言 致謝 法律的文化解釋／梁治平 地方性知識： 事實與法律的比較透視／[美]克利福德．吉爾茲　鄧正來 譯 批判性比較：重新思考比較法／[德]根特．弗蘭肯伯格 賀衛方　王文娟 譯 法律哲學和社會哲學的世界立場／ [美]格雷．多西 關於法文化概念的若干思考／[美]亞伯拉罕．艾德爾 伊麗莎白．弗羅爾 天人之間：漢代的契約與國家／[美]宋格文　李明德 譯 知識產權還是思想控制：對中國古代法的文化透視／[美]安守廉 法辨／梁治平 禮法文化／梁治平 本書作者簡介 出版後記

《民主是可能的吗?:新型政治辩论的诸原则》内容简介：美国政治可能正出现前所未有的两极化，并遭到普遍的轻视。最近几年来，来自左右两翼、红蓝两大阵营的政治家们彼此争斗，仿佛政治是博取啦啦队欢呼的贴身竞技-样。德沃金写道，这种结果已经变成令人深感失望的政治文化，无法面对实现社会正义的长远挑战，而这些挑战是由诸如恐怖主义的新威胁等问题所带来的。改变的希望能够实现吗? 德沃金——一位著名的世界级法律和政治哲学家，论证并捍卫了个人和政治道德性的核心原则，而这些原则为所有公民所共享。他指出，这些共享的原则能够使实质性的政治论辩成为可能，能够将互相蔑视变成互相尊重，能够引领美国和其他国家实现对民主更加完整的承诺。

《刑事诉讼的中国图景》内容简介：作者立足本土，正视现实。打破中国刑事诉讼法学传统的研究范式，借鉴和汲取先进的研究方法，运用新的研究范式，对中国的刑事诉讼立法与司法问题进行研究。在书中，作者将中国的刑事诉讼置于改革开放三十年和全球化的大背景中，回溯其改革道路的历程，实证研究，分析我国刑事诉讼立法与司法的经验及不足，从中发掘出适合中国国情的价值，并提出了具有实用意义的建离。《刑事诉讼的中国图景》的研究视角，研究方法、研究材料，研究过程及研究结论，不仅为刑事诉讼理论研究，刑事诉讼制度改革展示了颇具价值的思路，也提供了具有操作性的方略。