Reasons and Intentions in Law and Practical Agency

A collection of new essays on the interplay between intentions and practical reasons in law and practical agency.

George Pavlakos (Edited by), Veronica Rodriguez-Blanco (Edited by)

9781107070721, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 February 2015

342 pages
23.7 x 16 x 2.5 cm, 0.65 kg

'The essays in the book are rich and topical. They cover a variety of different issues, but with many interesting connections between them. This is a book that repays close study. I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in these areas.' Jonathan Crowe, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

This collection of new essays explores in depth how and why we act when we follow practical standards, particularly in connection with the authority of legal texts and lawmakers. The essays focus on the interplay of intentions and practical reasons, engaging incisive arguments to demonstrate both the close connection between them, and the inadequacy of accounts that downplay this important link. Their wide-ranging discussion includes topics such as legal interpretation, the paradox of intention, the relation between moral and legal obligation, and legal realism. The volume will appeal to scholars and students of legal philosophy, moral philosophy, law, social science, cognitive psychology, and philosophy of action.

Introduction George Pavlakos and Veronica Rodriguez-Blanco
Part I. The Normative Meaning of Actions: 1. Intentions, permissibility, and the reasons for which we act Ulrike Heuer
2. Acting and satisficing Sergio Tenenbaum
3. Interpretation without intentions Heidi M. Hurd
4. Metasemantics and legal interpretation Ori Simchen
Part II. Normativity of Legal Authority: 5. Doing another's bidding Matthew Hanser
6. Legal authority and the paradox of intention in action Veronica Rodriguez-Blanco
7. The deliberative and epistemic dimension of legitimate authoritative directives Anthony Hatzistavrou
8. Public transit A. J. Julius
9. Ought we to do what we ought to be made to do? Cohen and Nagel on the personal and the political William A. Edmundson
10. Juridical laws as moral laws in Kant's The Doctrine of Right Ben Laurence
11. The relation between moral and legal obligation: an alternative Kantian reading George Pavlakos
Part III. The Social Dimension of Normativity: 12. Law's artefactual nature: how legal institutions generate normativity Kenneth M. Ehrenberg
13. American Legal Realism and practical guidance Manuel Vargas and Joshua P. Davis
14. The authority of conventions, norms, and law Bruno Verbeek
Select bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Jurisprudence & philosophy of law [LAB], Law [L], Political science & theory [JPA], Cognition & cognitive psychology [JMR], Psychology [JM], Crime & criminology [JKV], Sociology [JHB], Society & social sciences [J], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ], Philosophy [HP]