The Passions of Law

by Susan A. Bandes (Editor)

The Passions of Law is the first anthology to treat the role that emotions play, don't play, and ought to play in the practice and conception of law and justice. Lying at the intersection of law, psychology, and philosophy, this emergent field of law scholarship raises some of the most profound and interesting questions at the heart of jurisprudence. For example, what role do emotions ranging from disgust to compassion play in the decision-making processes of judges, lawyers, juries, and clients? What emotions belong in which legal contexts? Is there a hierarchy of emotions, and, if so, through what sources do we identify it? To what extent are emotions subject to change or tutelage? How can we evaluate the role of emotion in such disparate contexts as death sentencing, laws about same sex marriage, hate crime legislation, punitive damages or shaming penalties?
Consisting of original essays by leading scholars of law, theology, political science, and philosophy, The Passions of Law contributes to ongoing efforts to humanize law and reveals how this previously unacknowledged aspect of decision-making exerts a much greater impact on justice and the practice of law than most tend, or like, to think.
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368 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1997

Reviews

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I think this book is quite a nice selection of essays, it didn't really contain the information I was looking for from a legal perspective. It gives some insights in legal issues from a psychological and philosophical perspectives rather than the other way around. One thing that I really liked about this book is that although it is a set of separate essays, the authors refer to other essays in the same book.