The Normative Fallacy Regarding Law’s Authority

Wil Waluchow and Stefan Sciaraffa (eds.), Philosophical Foundations of the Nature of Law, Oxford University Press, 2013, Forthcoming

34 Pages Posted: 23 Sep 2012 Last revised: 20 Nov 2012

See all articles by Arie Rosen

Arie Rosen

University of Auckland Faculty of Law

Date Written: August 28, 2012

Abstract

The philosophical treatment of socio-political concepts is susceptible to a methodological fallacy, consisting of an illicit move from statements in moral theory to statements about social and political facts. This fallacy — the normative fallacy — can be found in legal philosophy as well. In this essay I discuss the normative fallacy regarding law’s authority, criticize Raz’s theory of de facto authority as committing this fallacy, and consider the importance of law’s de facto authority (which can be quite different from its moral, rightful authority) to legal philosophy.

Keywords: general jurisprudence, Raz, authority, normative fallacy, de facto, legitimate, rightful, practical matrix

Suggested Citation

Rosen, Arie, The Normative Fallacy Regarding Law’s Authority (August 28, 2012). Wil Waluchow and Stefan Sciaraffa (eds.), Philosophical Foundations of the Nature of Law, Oxford University Press, 2013, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2150715

Arie Rosen (Contact Author)

University of Auckland Faculty of Law ( email )

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Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland, 1142
New Zealand

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