Normative Claim of Law

Stefano Bertea is a Reader in Law at the University of Leicester.

• Introduction Part I: Essential Features Chapter 1: Meaning and Status Chapter 2: Generality and Moral Nature Chapter 3: Content-Dependence and Discursive Character Part II: Ground Chapter 4: Why Grounds are Needed Chapter 5: The Sources of the Normativity of Practical Reason Chapter 6: The Ground of the Normative Claim and Normativity of Law Conclusion Appendix: The Modified Kantian Account and Kant's Philosophy of Law

Bertea's arguments are advanced with skill, imagination and vigour, making the book very readable indeed. Moreover, the author's close engagement with the theme is apparent and compelling to the reader - a refreshing change from the dispassionate tone sometimes apparent in legal research. ...Bertea's important work is interesting, engaging and provocative. It hints at important questions that have been overlooked and it forces the reader to challenge some perhaps deeply embedded beliefs [and] these characteristics make it a worthwhile and moreover enjoyable read for anyone interested in normativity and its relations to law. Bebhinn Donnelly-Lazarov Jurisprudence Volume 4, Issue 2 Bertea's level of thought organization is at the highest level: he makes explicit claims and offers explicit reasons to support them. Each chapter of his book has its main topic and argument introduced, then analyzed and, finally, summarized. Because of this, the reader can much more easily keep track of Bertea's thoughts. This is one of the most important qualities of the book. The Normative Claim of Law also has important practical implication, besides its structural quality. The discussion carried out in the book supports the conclusion that the traditional schools of legal thought have not provided a comprehensive theory of the normative claim of law. Marin Kersio Archiv fur Rechts-und Sozialphilosophie 98/2