Archiwum
Filozofii Prawa
i Filozofii Społecznej

Journal of the Polish Section of IVR (ISSN:2082-3304)

IVR
  • General info
  • Aim & scope
  • News
  • Issues
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Editorial board
    • Board Members
    • Reviewers
  • For authors / Ethics
  • Contact
  • Polski

Legal Narrative and Legal Disagreement

Mgr Marta Dubowska, Dr hab. Adam Dyrda

Jagiellonian University in Kraków

Abstract: What is the relationship between general legal theories and legal narratives? In this paper we aim to problematise this relationship in the context of different legal disagreements. As we see it, the Dworkinean category of “theoretical disagreement”, which basically refers to the phenomenon of disagreement “about the grounds of law” (between different general legal theories) is not sufficient to cover all substantial disagreements that appear in legal practice. Thus, we propose a category of “narrative disagreement” which has a wider scope. Eventually, we discuss the thesis of a possible equality of legal theories, as well as legal narratives, which we understand as an inevitable consequence of the relationship between legal theories/narratives and a special type of evidence on which they both rely: truisms about the law that laymen and/or legal professionals generally share.

Keywords: general legal theories, legal disagreement, theoretical disagreement, narrative disagreement, legal narrative, legal truisms

Language: English

Received: 26.12.2017
Accepted: 26.01.2018

Published: Number 2(17)/2018, pp. 47-59.

Download file: Download
Number of downloads: 88

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Adam Dyrda, general legal theories, legal disagreement, legal narrative, legal truisms, Marta Dubowska, narrative disagreement, theoretical disagreement

“The Semantic Sting” Argument and Jerzy Wróblewski’s Theory of Law

Mgr Adam Dyrda

Jagiellonian University


English abstract:
Ronald Dworkin once criticized legal positivists for that their theories are founded on a mistake called “the semantic sting”, which claims that legal philosophy, as a silent prologue to every decision of law, cannot be only a semantic account to the word ‘law’. The article presents Dworkinean argument (and its most influential critique of Herbert Hart) and examines whether Jerzy Wróblewski’s legal theory (in its descriptive layer similar to the theory of Herbert Hart) is susceptible to “the semantic sting”. Finally, the answer given is based on a particular solution: Jerzy Wróblewski’s concept of rationality of legal decision appliance. The answer is in accoradance with argumentation of soft positivists, such as Herbert Hart or Jules Coleman, and is based on the acceptance that, even if Dworkin’s argument is meaningfull, it still does not apply to the theories presented by the soft positivists. The controversy whether a particular theory is “semantically stung” is de facto a dispute over a proper methodological approach to legal theory and a relation in which such a theory remains to interpretative jurisprudence of Ronald Dworkin. In this case we can treat Jerzy Wróblewski’s theory as a metatheory, which deals with theoretic disagreement over the grounds of the law, while deciding the case.

Keywords: Ronald Dworkin, Herbert Hart, Jerzy Wróblewski, semantic sting, legal positivism, rational application of law

Language: Polish

Published: Number 1(1)/2010, pp. 39-47.

Download file: Download
Number of downloads:
143

References:

  1. Coleman J. (red.), Hart’s Postscript: Essays on the Postscript to the Concept of Law, Oxford 2001.
  2. Coleman J., Methodology, w: Coleman J., Shapiro S. (red.), The Oxford Handbook of Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law, Oxford 2002.
  3. Coleman J., The Practice of Principle: In Defence of a Pragmatist Approach to Legal Theory, Oxford 2001.
  4. Coleman J., Shapiro S. (red.), The Oxford Handbook of Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law, Oxford 2002.
  5. Davidson D., Preface, w: LePore E., McLaughlin B.P., Actions and Events. Perspectives on the Philosophy of Donald Davidson, Oxford 1985.
  6. Dworkin R., Imperium prawa, Warszawa 2006.
  7. Gizbert-Studnicki T., Zasady i reguły prawne, „Państwo i Prawo” 1988/3.
  8. Hart H.L.A., Definition and Theory in Jurisprudence, Oxford 1953.
  9. Hart H.L.A., Pojęcie prawa, Warszawa 1998.
  10. LePore E., McLaughlin B.P., Actions and Events. Perspectives on the Philosophy of Donald Davidson, Oxford 1985.
  11. MacCormick N., Legal Reasoning and Legal Theory, Oxford 1978.
  12. Raz J., Two Views of the Nature of the Theory of Law: A Partial Comparison, w: Coleman J. (red.), Hart’s Postscript: Essays on the Postscript to the Concept of Law, Oxford 2001.
  13. Shapiro S., What is Law? (And Why Should We Care?), 1st Conference On Philosophy And Law Neutrality And Theory Of Law, Girona, 20-22.05.2010
  14. Wróblewski J., Ronald Dworkin Law’s Empire, „Państwo i Prawo” 1988/3.
  15. Wróblewski J., Rozumienie prawa i jego wykładnia, Wrocław 1990.
  16. Wróblewski J., Sądowe stosowanie prawa, Warszawa 1972.
  17. Wróblewski J., Zagadnienia teorii wykładni prawa ludowego, Warszawa 1959.
  18. Zabala S., The hermeneutic nature of analytic philosophy: a study of Ernst Tugendhat, New York 2008.
  19. Zirk-Sadowski M., Wprowadzenie, w: Dworkin R., Imperium prawa, Warszawa 2006.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Adam Dyrda, Herbert Hart, Jerzy Wróblewski, legal positivism, rational application of law, Ronald Dworkin, semantic sting

Categories

  • Articles
  • Editorial
  • In Memoriam
  • News
  • Reports
  • Reviews and discussions

Keywords

Summa iniuria Pierre Legendre rational application of law emergency situation factual knowledge Aleksander Olaf Szpojankowski memory studies financial market general clause Michał Wieczorkowski American legal realism Justyna Jezierska ought-statements civic participation Wojciech Ciszewski clarity of law legal gaps abominable law Zygmunt Ziembiński theory of state and law holy war Mateusz Wojtanowski extensive interpretation political responsibility contextualism justice as fairness Robert Brandom interest of the state principle of law Republican Party of Minnesota v. White justice thick concepts sociality professional self-governments state of emergency law & economics Hohfeldian incidents Systems Theory patient's rights protection of the memory of the deceased Paweł Łabieniec cohesion professional ethics abortion discourse personal truths Spanish law philosophy of dialogue cognitive dissonance reduction legal truisms public philosophy

Copyright © 2021 Polska Sekcja Międzynarodowego Stowarzyszenia Filozofii Prawa i Filozofii Społecznej IVR | Administrator strony: Dawid Milczarek

Ta strona używa plików cookies. Zakładamy, że wyrażają Państwo na to zgodę, ale mogą Państwo także wyłączyć pliki cookies w Ustawieniach. //
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. (Zob. więcej // Read more) Ustawienia // SettingsZGODA // ACCEPT

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.