Postmodernism and Law: Jurisprudence in a Fragmenting World: Jurisprudence in a Fragmenting World

Postmodern and critical social theory is transforming legal theory, with four scholars of critical social theory sharing similar philosophical roots. It challenges opponents' claims of relativism and performative impossibility of ethics and values.

Format: Hardback
Publication date: 01 January 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This title, originally published in 2001, explores the transformative impact of postmodern and critical social theory on legal theory. The text aims to present the work of four prominent scholars of critical social theory, all of whom are Continental Europeans: Jurgen Habermas, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Jacques Lacan. It seeks to demonstrate that while Foucault, Derrida, and Lacan's work is often juxtaposed to that of the neo-liberal social theorist Habermas, they share similar philosophical roots. The text specifically references the early formation of critical theory by the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory. Additionally, it analyzes the two main criticisms leveled against postmodernism: the introduction of relativism, which makes ethics and values performative impossibilities, and the lack of a universal moral framework. The text argues that postmodernism can address these criticisms and offer a more nuanced and complex understanding of legal theory.

ISBN-13: 9781138719873