Rethinking Historical Jurisprudence

Rethinking Law series

Geoffrey Samuel, Professor Emeritus, Kent Law School, UK

This stimulating book considers the ways in which historical jurisprudence deserves to be rethought, arguing that there is much more to the history of legal thought than the ideas, and ideology, of the nineteenth and early twentieth century jurists, such as Karl von Savigny and Sir Henry Maine.

‘Geoffrey Samuel is a leading legal comparatist and epistemologist whose decades-long scholarship has made fundamental contributions to the nature and dynamics of legal reasoning in both Common and Civil law jurisdictions. Rethinking Historical Jurisprudence represents a major step along Samuel’s rich intellectual path. It makes a compelling – and much-needed – case for reconsidering what amounts to “historical legal thought”. Learned yet accessible, Rethinking Historical Jurisprudence is a must-read for all those interested in the history and epistemology of legal reasoning.’
– Luca Siliquini-Cinelli, University of Dundee, UK