The Wrong of Law

This book combines metaphysics, aspects of modern logic, and legal theory in order to conceptualise a wrong in laws claim of right. The book takes as its starting point a restriction on the freedom of concept formation that is dictated by classical logics inability to handle antinomies in reasons attempts to constitute its own foundations. Relating this to laws claim of right, the notion of wrong does not fasten on laws violence or injustice, and neither does it seek to elaborate a moral or ethical critique of law. On the contrary: it is sceptical of, and seeks an alternative to, the various ethical turns of recent legal and political theory. The wrong of the wrong of law is logical and epistemic in character. It is a failure or refusal to recognise the cognitive relevance of contradictions of self-reference. In this respect, The Wrong of Law draws on a metaphysical-logical development from Kant via Hegel and Marx to the foundations of modern logic, in order to establish the sense in which a restriction on self-reference amounts to a limitation on truth-seeking or comprehension. This limitation is then demonstrated through analysis of the reasoning in a series of legal cases in Australia, concerning Indigenous peoples. This book will be of significant interest to scholars in critical legal theory, the philosophy of law and jurisprudence; as well as others with an interest in foundational studies across the disciplinary borders of metaphysics, mathematical logic, sociology and legal theory.