The Structure of Liberty : Justice and the Rule of Law
Editorial Reviews
Reason, Richard A. Epstein
Randy Barnett's new book, The Structure of Liberty, weaves together the two main strands of its distinguished author's career. In the realm of the practical, Barnett has drawn on his extensive experience as a state's prosecutor in Cook County, Illinois. As a legal theorist, Barnett (now a law professor at Boston University) builds on the great writers of the liberal tradition--Hobbes, Locke, Hume, Hayek, and Nozick--for his own theoretical defense of the rights and duties that all individuals owe each other as a matter of natural law. He then uses his judgments on rights and duties to define the province of a properly limited government's activities. Barnett's instincts should be more widespread today, when lawyers, philosophers, and policy makers automatically posit a government solution for any perceived social failure. His interest in basic theory as it relates to the uses and abuses of political power makes his views on a wide range of state policy issues, from taxation to criminal law, worthy of careful attention.
Book Description
What is liberty, as opposed to license, and why is it so important? When people pursue happiness, peace and prosperity whilst living in society, they confront pervasive problems of knowledge, interest, and power. These problems are dealt with by ensuring the liberty of the people to pursue
their own ends, but addressing these problems also requires that liberty be structured by certain rights and procedures associated with the classical liberal conception of justice and the rule of law.
Drawing upon insights from philosophy, economics, political theory, and law, Randy Barnett examines the serious social problems that are addressed by liberty--and the background or "natural" rights and "rule of law" procedures that distinguish liberty from license. He then outlines the
constitutional framework that is needed to protect this structure of liberty. Athough this controversial new work is intended to challenge specialists, its clear and accessible prose ensure that it will be of immense value to both scholars and students working in a range of academic
disciplines.
The Structure of Liberty : Justice and the Rule of Law ,Randy E. Barnett,Oxford University Press, USA,0198293240,General,History & Theory - General,Justice,Law,Liberty,Philosophy Of Law,Political Theory,Politics / Current Events,Politics/International Relations,Rule of law,Economic theory & philosophy,Jurisprudence & philosophy of law,Political Science / History & Theory,Political science & theory,Politics
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