By Cosgrove A. Richard

Can a discipline that has become intensely specialized tell us anything about the world we live in? Or does it render itself socially irrelevant? These questions are at the heart of Richard A. Cosgrove\'s history of jurisprudence in England.

Cosgrove\'s account begins with the emergence of the positivist belief that jurisprudence can solve the truly important social issues of the day and leads us through the gradual divorce of legal theory from legal history. Legal theory in the twentieth century, argues Cosgrove, has become narrow and abstract, irrelevant to the daily practice of the law. Contemporary theory, ever anxious to debunk elitism, ironically has become elitist itself. Cosgrove outlines an escape from this trap: jurisprudence must return to its interdisciplinary roots and draw upon economics, politics, and sociology. In short, theory and practice must be recombined.

Cosgrove charts the history of English jurisprudence through its key figure: William Blackstone. Jeremy Bentham, John Austin, Henry Maine, Thomas Erskine Holland, and H.L.A. Hart. Through his careful, insightful scholarship and unpretentious prose, Cosgrove distinguishes the contributions of these theorists and clarifies their general move toward specialization.

Published Year: 2006 Format: Hard Back ISBN: 8175345624 Publisher: Universal Law Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. No of Pages: 272 Our Price: India. Rs. 295.00 Reviews: 0 reivew(s).

Add to Wish List Tell a Friend Write a Review