The Dignity of Legislation

Jeremy Waldron here attempts to restore the good name of legislation in political theory. Focused in particular on the writings of Aristotle, Locke and Kant, this book recovers and highlights ways of thinking about legislation that present it as a dignified mode of governance and a respectable source of law. The focus is particularly on legislation by assemblies, large gatherings of representatives who air their disagreements in ferocious debate and make laws by deliberation and voting. Jeremy Waldron has published extensively in law, philosophy and political theory. Here he presents a unique study of the place of legislation in the canon of political thought - a study which emphasises the positive features of democracy and representative assemblies. The Dignity of Legislation is original in conception, trenchantly argued and very clearly presented, and will be of interest to a wide range of scholars and thinkers.

• Concise statement by senior legal philosopher • Topical subject especially in UK (considering the introduction of a Bill of Rights) • Crosses political/legal/philosophical boundaries

Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. The indignity of legislation; 3. Kant’s positivism; 4. Locke’s legislature (and Rawls’s); 5. Aristotle’s multitude; 6. The physics of consent; Notes to chapters; Bibliography; Index.

‘… lucid, thoughtful and persuasive … he argues magnificently on behalf of legislation by a popular assembly as a respectable source of law.’ Times Literary Supplement

‘… short, assertive and engaging … This excellent book is a forceful statement of an important position.’ London Review of Books

‘Waldron is a wonderfully fresh breath of air. he is spot-on in his criticism of the dominant analytical discourse of Anglo-American jurisprudence.’ The Times Higher Education Supplement

‘The Dignity of Legislation is a splendid and timely book. Few philosophers have Waldron’s gift for exploring philosophical imagery, which he does to great effect in his discussion of majority rule … In this book he treats us to a learned and lucid explanation of why the persistence of disagreement is philosophically significant.’ The Philosophical Quarterly