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Ronald Dworkin Books

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Ronald Dworkin (1931–2013) was an American legal philosopher and scholar of constitutional law. He served as Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London and as Frank Henry Sommer Professor of Law and Philosophy at New York University.

Known for: Law’s Empire

Books by Ronald Dworkin

Law’s Empire

Law’s Empire

law_crime·10 min read

In this influential work, Ronald Dworkin develops a comprehensive theory of law that challenges both legal positivism and natural law traditions. He argues that law is best understood as an interpretive practice grounded in moral principles, not merely as a system of rules. Dworkin introduces the concept of 'law as integrity,' asserting that judges should interpret legal materials in the best moral light possible, ensuring coherence and justice within the legal system.

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The Concept of Law

To begin, I must confront the most influential modern theory of law: H.L.A. Hart’s legal positivism. Hart’s model holds that a legal system is composed of primary rules (duties and obligations) and secondary rules (rules about how laws are created, recognized, and enforced). For positivists, what co...

From Law’s Empire

2

The Model of Rules I and II

In *The Model of Rules* essays, I first introduced a distinction crucial to my later argument: the difference between rules and principles. Rules function in an all-or-nothing fashion. If the rule applies, it dictates a result. Principles, by contrast, have a dimension of weight—they express moral s...

From Law’s Empire

About Ronald Dworkin

Ronald Dworkin (1931–2013) was an American legal philosopher and scholar of constitutional law. He served as Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London and as Frank Henry Sommer Professor of Law and Philosophy at New York University. Dworkin is widely regarded as one of the most importa...

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Ronald Dworkin (1931–2013) was an American legal philosopher and scholar of constitutional law. He served as Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London and as Frank Henry Sommer Professor of Law and Philosophy at New York University. Dworkin is widely regarded as one of the most important legal theorists of the 20th century, known for his works on legal interpretation, rights, and moral philosophy.

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Ronald Dworkin (1931–2013) was an American legal philosopher and scholar of constitutional law. He served as Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London and as Frank Henry Sommer Professor of Law and Philosophy at New York University.

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