Scott Shapiro's 2011 book Legality is a tour de force. Just as Bentham offered utility, Hart proffered rules, and Dworkin asserted rights as the key idea for jurisprudential theory, Shapiro has put forward one idea that he believes will open the door to numerous difficult problems in jurisprudence. It is the idea of plans. Legal systems, on Shapiro's account, are elaborate and multi-tiered plans with which people are able to live together in constructive communities. Simple as it is, a plans-based theory of law promises to offer insights on the nature of statutory and constitutional interpretation, the relationship between law and morality, and the nature of law more generally. Four speakers from different backgrounds will provide commentary on the book, to which Shapiro will respond.
Business Meeting at Program Conclusion.