Living Law - by Marc Hertogh (Paperback)

About the Book

This book provides an introduction to the important scholarship of Eugen Ehrlich and a starting point for further reading and discussion.

Book Synopsis

Eugen Ehrlich (1862-1922) was an eminent Austrian legal theorist and professor of Roman law. He is considered by many as one of the 'founding fathers' of modern sociology of law. Although the importance of his work (including his concept of 'living law') is widely recognized, Ehrlich has not yet received the serious international attention he deserves. Therefore, this collection of essays is aimed at 'reconsidering' Eugen Ehrlich by discussing both the historical and theoretical context of his work and its relevance for contemporary law and society scholarship. Living Law has been divided into four parts. Part I paints a lively picture of the Bukowina region in southeastern Europe, where Ehrlich was born in 1862. Moreover it considers the political and academic atmosphere at the end of the 19th century. Part II discusses the main concepts and ideas of Ehrlich's sociology of law and considers the reception of Ehrlich's work in the German speaking world, in the US, and in Japan. Part III is concerned with the work of Ehrlich in relation to that of some his contemporaries, including Roscoe Pound, Hans Kelsen, and Cornelis van Vollenhoven. Part IV focuses on the relevance of Ehrlich's work for current socio-legal studies. Living Law provides both an introduction to the important and innovative scholarship of Eugen Ehrlich, as well as a starting point for further reading and discussion. (Series: Onati International Series in Law and Society)

Review Quotes

"Living Law: Reconsidering Eugen Ehrlich offers the considered opinions of several scholars on the significance of Ehrlich's work from
his first publications more than a century ago until today.
In reading this volume, one is struck by Ehrlich's prescience. His notion of ''living law'' is a precursor to a wide range of concepts that still shape law and society discourse. It has served as a constructive contrast to Pound's ''law in action'' for many decades now, but it also foreshadowed studies of legal pluralism and legal consciousness.
[A]nyone inclined to re/read Ehrlich's magnum opus would do well to study Hertogh's collection as a companion volume." --Dan Steward, Law & Society Review, Vol. 45, No. 1

"This volume is a scholarly and highly commendable contribution to the study of Ehrlich's thought and is likely to stimulate further work on non-state law and legal consciousness; certainly, any scholar with an interest in sociological jurisprudence shall find it to be an invaluable resource about an extremely interesting and influential figure." --Tim Murphy, Dublin University Law Journal, Vol. 31, No. 1

"The publication of the collective work Living Law: Reconsidering Eugen Ehrlich (Living Law) ... is, indeed, most welcome. The book, without a doubt, will be of great interest to all readers involved in legal sociology, legal anthropology, and, more broadly, in "law and society" scholarship. The contributors to this collection of essays are all highly learned and talented scholars
Any reader interested in legal sociology and legal pluralism should find Hertogh's collective work ... full of relevant information about Elrich, and also highly stimulating." --Michel Coutu, Osgoode Hall Law Review, Vol. 47. Nr.3

"All of the essays are well-written and present cogent arguments" --John H. Bogart, Law and Politics Book Review

About the Author

Marc Hertogh is Professor of Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.