A Straw Man Revisited: Resettling the Score Between H.L.A. Hart and Scandinavian Legal Realism

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal article

Standard

A Straw Man Revisited : Resettling the Score Between H.L.A. Hart and Scandinavian Legal Realism. / Holtermann, Jakob v. H.

In: Santa Clara Law Review, Vol. 57, No. 1, 1, 2017, p. 2-41.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal article

Harvard

Holtermann, JVH 2017, 'A Straw Man Revisited: Resettling the Score Between H.L.A. Hart and Scandinavian Legal Realism', Santa Clara Law Review, vol. 57, no. 1, 1, pp. 2-41. <http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2832&context=lawreview>

APA

Holtermann, J. V. H. (2017). A Straw Man Revisited: Resettling the Score Between H.L.A. Hart and Scandinavian Legal Realism. Santa Clara Law Review, 57(1), 2-41. [1]. http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2832&context=lawreview

Vancouver

Holtermann JVH. A Straw Man Revisited: Resettling the Score Between H.L.A. Hart and Scandinavian Legal Realism. Santa Clara Law Review. 2017;57(1):2-41. 1.

Author

Holtermann, Jakob v. H. / A Straw Man Revisited : Resettling the Score Between H.L.A. Hart and Scandinavian Legal Realism. In: Santa Clara Law Review. 2017 ; Vol. 57, No. 1. pp. 2-41.

Bibtex

@article{2c0361de06b346e4a5e4b2336a4398c4,
title = "A Straw Man Revisited: Resettling the Score Between H.L.A. Hart and Scandinavian Legal Realism",
abstract = "H.L.A. Hart is said to have “famously demolished” Alf Ross{\textquoteright}s Scandinavian version of Legal Realism with his celebrated introduction of a distinction between internal and external aspects of social rules. In this article, I argue that this received opinion is mistaken. Ross was not only perfectly aware of the internal/external distinction; he in fact analyzed it with much greater clarity and consistency than Hart did. Thus, behind Hart{\textquoteright}s writings on this issue lies not only one but two important and logically distinct distinctions and Hart continuously confuses them and their interrelations. Ross on the other hand expressly acknowledged their existence and consistently observed both of them in his work. Setting the record straight not only casts much needed light on debates about internal and external aspects of social rules. It also gives us a privileged opportunity to redraw our map of the broader jurisprudential landscape and in particular of identifying where we could draw the line between Legal Positivism and Legal Realism in a clear and principled way. These insights are particularly valuable as we are currently seeing sustained attempts to revitalize the Legal Realist movement, either by seeing the Legal Realists as precursors of philosophical Naturalism in jurisprudence or by exploring the prospects of a New Legal Realism.",
keywords = "Faculty of Law, H.L.A. Hart, Alf Ross, skandinavisk retsrealisme, naturaliseret epistemologi, naturaliseret retsfilosofi, retspositivisme, Alf Ross, H.L.A. Hart, Scandinavian legal realism, Legal realism, legal positivism, naturalized epistemology, naturalizing jurisprudence",
author = "Holtermann, {Jakob v. H.}",
year = "2017",
language = "English",
volume = "57",
pages = "2--41",
journal = "Santa Clara Law Review",
issn = "0146-0315",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Straw Man Revisited

T2 - Resettling the Score Between H.L.A. Hart and Scandinavian Legal Realism

AU - Holtermann, Jakob v. H.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - H.L.A. Hart is said to have “famously demolished” Alf Ross’s Scandinavian version of Legal Realism with his celebrated introduction of a distinction between internal and external aspects of social rules. In this article, I argue that this received opinion is mistaken. Ross was not only perfectly aware of the internal/external distinction; he in fact analyzed it with much greater clarity and consistency than Hart did. Thus, behind Hart’s writings on this issue lies not only one but two important and logically distinct distinctions and Hart continuously confuses them and their interrelations. Ross on the other hand expressly acknowledged their existence and consistently observed both of them in his work. Setting the record straight not only casts much needed light on debates about internal and external aspects of social rules. It also gives us a privileged opportunity to redraw our map of the broader jurisprudential landscape and in particular of identifying where we could draw the line between Legal Positivism and Legal Realism in a clear and principled way. These insights are particularly valuable as we are currently seeing sustained attempts to revitalize the Legal Realist movement, either by seeing the Legal Realists as precursors of philosophical Naturalism in jurisprudence or by exploring the prospects of a New Legal Realism.

AB - H.L.A. Hart is said to have “famously demolished” Alf Ross’s Scandinavian version of Legal Realism with his celebrated introduction of a distinction between internal and external aspects of social rules. In this article, I argue that this received opinion is mistaken. Ross was not only perfectly aware of the internal/external distinction; he in fact analyzed it with much greater clarity and consistency than Hart did. Thus, behind Hart’s writings on this issue lies not only one but two important and logically distinct distinctions and Hart continuously confuses them and their interrelations. Ross on the other hand expressly acknowledged their existence and consistently observed both of them in his work. Setting the record straight not only casts much needed light on debates about internal and external aspects of social rules. It also gives us a privileged opportunity to redraw our map of the broader jurisprudential landscape and in particular of identifying where we could draw the line between Legal Positivism and Legal Realism in a clear and principled way. These insights are particularly valuable as we are currently seeing sustained attempts to revitalize the Legal Realist movement, either by seeing the Legal Realists as precursors of philosophical Naturalism in jurisprudence or by exploring the prospects of a New Legal Realism.

KW - Faculty of Law

KW - H.L.A. Hart

KW - Alf Ross

KW - skandinavisk retsrealisme

KW - naturaliseret epistemologi

KW - naturaliseret retsfilosofi

KW - retspositivisme

KW - Alf Ross

KW - H.L.A. Hart

KW - Scandinavian legal realism

KW - Legal realism

KW - legal positivism

KW - naturalized epistemology

KW - naturalizing jurisprudence

M3 - Journal article

VL - 57

SP - 2

EP - 41

JO - Santa Clara Law Review

JF - Santa Clara Law Review

SN - 0146-0315

IS - 1

M1 - 1

ER -

ID: 167222257