Relativity Under Review: A Response to Commentators on Authorites
(2015) 40 Australian Journal of Legal Philosophy 212.
15 Pages Posted: 15 Feb 2016 Last revised: 30 Aug 2018
Date Written: October 15, 2015
Abstract
This paper presents a response to commentators (Rosen, Rundle, Sevel) upon the author's monograph, 'Authorities: Conflict, Cooperation, and Transnational Legal Theory', presented at the Book Symposium held at the Australian Society for Legal Philosophy's 2015 Annual Conference. The response succinctly recaps the book's core idea of 'relative authority', then defends its significance in its own right and as a challenge to Raz's account of authority. The paper explores three themes in response to commentators first, it considers 'relativity and Razology,' exporting the depth of the challenge posed by relativity for the Razian account. Part Two then argues for the 'rewards of relativity' for those who are the subjects of relative authorities. Finally, it concludes with an examination of the 'realities of relativity.' including the challenges of institutional constraints upon the realization of legitimate relative authority.
Keywords: authority, Raz, legitimacy, pluralism, relative authority
JEL Classification: K10, K30, K44
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation