Legal Philosophy in the Twentieth Century: The Common Law World by Gerald J. Postema * Springer, 2011. Pgs VII-XXV, 3-618. ISBN 978-90-481-8959-5. The words in double quotation marks have a page number for reference; those in single quotation marks are merely bits of characteristic language used in the book.

Abstract

This big book recounts the march of the giants of 20th century English language jurisprudence, one aiming to bring progress to history by means of a sustained philosophical inquiry over time. My task in this CJLJ Book Review is especially to show, by discussing but a small aspect of each chapter, how valuable Postema’s book is for a philosopher of law professionally. It is a story which for many well-practiced jurisprudes could spell, in a word, réanimation. That said: if someone early in the 22nd century writes a history of legal philosophy looking back on the 21st century, Gerald Postema’s critical history which looks back on 20th century will surely be counted as one of the major achievements of the 21st—our time. Legal Philosophy in the Twentieth Century: The Common Law World is a brilliant book and, for the rest of us incapable of achieving anything like this (and I mean the rest of us), it is simply breathtaking.