The Concept of Law is probably the most important work of legal philosophy produced during the twentieth century. Elegantly written and argued, it has provoked worldwide debate and commentary since its publication in 1961. The book furthers our understanding of law, coercion, and morality as different but related phenomena. Hart analyses the concept of law and in the process discusses such important topics as the foundations of the legal system, law as the union ...
The classic collection of essays, first published in 1968, has had an enduring impact on academic and public debates about criminal responsibility and criminal punishment. Forty years, its arguments are as powerful as ever. H.L.A. Hart officers an alternative to retributive thinking about criminal punishment that nevertheless preserves the central distinction between guilt and innocence. He also provides an account of criminal responsibility that links the ...