Ronald Dworkin's Criticism of Pragmatism

(2014) 16 Dialogi Polityczne/Political Dialogues. Journal of Political Theory 27

10 Pages Posted: 6 Nov 2017

See all articles by Marie-Andrée Plante

Marie-Andrée Plante

Université de Sherbrooke

Anaïs Voy-Gillis

Centre de recherche et d'analyse géopolitique - Institut français de géopolitique

Date Written: July 1, 2014

Abstract

This article seeks to provide a critical analysis of Ronald Dworkin’s views on pragmatism, insofar as he evolves in a legal culture marked by considerations that arise from pragmatist philosophy and is also himself described by some scholars as a pragmatist. How does he view pragmatism? What are the criticisms he addresses to pragmatist theories? How can we nuance those criticisms?

With the aim of examining the relevance of Dworkin’s position on pragmatism, we will proceed to a brief overview of the use of the term “pragmatism” in legal literature, before directly exploring Dworkin’s criticisms of pragmatist philosophy as well as the nuances to those criticisms that we can highlight.

Keywords: Dworkin, Pragmatism, Law, Interpretation, Legal Pragmatism, Positivism, James, Peirce, Adjudication, Integrity, Judicial Activism, Rights

Suggested Citation

Plante, Marie-Andrée and Voy-Gillis, Anaïs, Ronald Dworkin's Criticism of Pragmatism (July 1, 2014). (2014) 16 Dialogi Polityczne/Political Dialogues. Journal of Political Theory 27, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3064228

Marie-Andrée Plante (Contact Author)

Université de Sherbrooke ( email )

2500 bd de l'Universite
Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1
Canada

Anaïs Voy-Gillis

Centre de recherche et d'analyse géopolitique - Institut français de géopolitique ( email )

2 rue de la liberté
Saint Denis, 93526
France

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