Living Law: Reconsidering Eugen Ehrlich

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This collection of essays is the first edited volume in the English language which is entirely dedicated to the work of Eugen Ehrlich. Eugen Ehrlich (1862-1922) was an eminent Austrian legal theorist and professor of Roman law. He is considered by many as one of the 'founding fathers' of modern sociology of law. Although the importance of his work (including his concept of 'living law') is widely recognised, Ehrlich has not yet received the serious international attention he deserves. Therefore, this collection of essays is aimed at 'reconsidering' Eugen Ehrlich by bringing together an interdisciplinary group of leading international experts to discuss both the historical and theoretical context of his work and its relevance for contemporary law and society scholarship. This book has been divided into four parts. Part I of this volume paints a lively picture of the Bukowina, in southeastern Europe, where Ehrlich was born in 1862. Moreover it considers the political and academic atmosphere at the end of the nineteenth century. Part II discusses the main concepts and ideas of Ehrlich's sociology of law and considers the reception of Ehrlich's work in the German speaking world, in the United States and in Japan. Part III of this volume is concerned with the work of Ehrlich in relation to that of some his contemporaries, including Roscoe Pound, Hans Kelsen and Cornelis van Vollenhoven. Part IV focuses on the relevance of Ehrlich's work for current socio-legal studies. This volume provides both an introduction to the important and innovative scholarship of Eugen Ehrlich as well as a starting point for further reading and discussion.

Reviews

Living Law: Reconsidering Eugen Ehrlich offers the considered opinions of several scholars on the significance of Ehrlich's work from his first publications more than a century ago until today. In reading this volume, one is struck by Ehrlich's prescience. His notion of "living law" is a precursor to a wide range of concepts that still shape law and society discourse. It has served as a constructive contrast to Pound's "law in action" for many decades now, but it also foreshadowed studies of legal pluralism and legal consciousness. [A]nyone inclined to re/read Ehrlich's magnum opus would do well to study Hertogh's collection as a companion volume. Dan Steward Law & Society Review Vol. 45, No. 1, March 2011 This volume is a scholarly and highly commendable contribution to the study of Ehrlich's thought and is likely to stimulate further work on non-state law and legal consciousness; certainly, any scholar with an interest in sociological jurisprudence shall find it to be an invaluable resource about an extremely interesting and influential figure. Tim Murphy Dublin University Law Journal Vol. 31, No. 1, December 2009 All of the essays are well-written and present cogent arguments John H. Bogart Law and Politics Book Review December 2010

Author Bio

Marc Hertogh is Professor of Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.