Rhythm: New Trajectories in Law

This book explores the conceptual and concrete relationships between rhythm and law, treating natural and social phenomena in terms of their rhythms, repetitions, motions, and movements. It demonstrates how the category of rhythm has jurisprudential significance, from Plato's vision of the city-state to the operation of the common law and our relationship to contemporary digital technology. It engages with the mutual intersections and points of illumination between rhythm and law, such as ritual, measure, order, and change, and offers conceptual and methodological starting points for future research.

Format: Hardback
Length: 116 pages
Publication date: 25 October 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate and multifaceted connections between rhythm and law, exploring both conceptual and concrete aspects of their relationship. Rhythm, as the unfolding of ordered and regulated movement, serves as a fundamental principle governing various natural and social phenomena. On the other hand, law operates through the ordering and regulation of movement, shaping the behavior and interactions of individuals and societies. By adopting a "rhythmanalytical perspective," which treats natural and social phenomena in terms of their rhythms, repetitions, motions, and movements, this book offers a novel and insightful approach to theorizing and explaining legal institutions and practices.

Through its exploration, the book demonstrates how the category of rhythm holds significant jurisprudential significance, spanning from Plato's vision of the functioning of the city-state to the operation of the common law and even our contemporary relationship with digital technology. In the realm of music, rhythm plays a crucial role in organizing the movement of sound, creating a harmonious blend of motions and vibrations that transcend mere noise and mechanics. This analogy is applied to the analysis of one of the central purposes of legal institutions and practices: to order the movements of bodies, whether they be the citizens of everyday life or the prisoners engaged in rituals of punishment.

The book engages with the rich intersections and points of illumination between rhythm and law, including topics such as ritual, measure, order, and change. It explores how rhythm can be deployed as a conceptual tool to understand and analyze legal institutions and practices, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of power, justice, and social order. Moreover, the book provides methodological starting points and proposes directions for future research in the field of rhythmanalysis, particularly within the realm of law.

With a primary audience of legal scholars intrigued by rhythmanalysis and rhythmanalysts, this book also holds appeal to those in the fields of philosophy, political and legal theory, sociology, and other social sciences. It serves as a valuable resource for scholars and researchers seeking to explore the complex interplay between rhythm and law, and to gain a deeper understanding of the role of rhythm in shaping our world.

Weight: 586g
Dimension: 145 x 222 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032016580