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Thanatopsis for Ronald Dworkin

From Web Exclusives

Ronald Dworkin has died. In Taking Rights Seriously, his first major work, published in 1977, he mounted a powerful assault on the legal positivism of his mentor, H. L. A. Hart. Dworkin would go on to become one of the greatest legal philosophers of the age. The only people in his class were Hart himself and Joseph Raz, and many people think that the greatest of the three was Dworkin… . Continue Reading »

Capitalism and Franklin (Missy, not Ben)

From First Thoughts

In an article in First Things last year, I argued that the legal institutions of capitalism exist not to advance any particular purpose but to facilitate the advancement by individuals of their various, often conflicting purposes. I made this argument in the course of disagreeing with Alasdair . . . . Continue Reading »

The Bishops Respond to President Obama

From First Thoughts

I have often written in this space criticizing the American Catholic bishops, but today, after reading their response to the Obama administration’s risibly cosmetic revision to its contraception mandate, I can say with delight that the bishops make me proud to be a Catholic. The key point is . . . . Continue Reading »

Law & Religion Colloquium

From First Thoughts

The Center for Law and Religion at St. John’s University School of Law in Queens, New York, which is under the direction of First Things contributor Professor Mark L. Movsesian, is sponsoring a colloquium this spring with an extremely impressive set of speakers, including United States Supreme . . . . Continue Reading »

Price Gouging and Hurricane Irene

From First Thoughts

Over at Future of Capitalism , Ira Stoll suggests that, with Hurricane Irene making landfall, we can expect to hear the usual complaints about, and defenses of, price gouging: If the usual pattern holds, opportunistic politicians will soon be out denouncing price-gouging connected with Hurricane . . . . Continue Reading »