Right and Prejudice: Prolegomena to a Hermeneutical Philosophy of Law

by Jarkko Tontti

Most current works in the field of legal interpretation approach problems from the point of view of analytical philosophy. In this book, however, Jarkko Tontti adopts the somewhat neglected viewpoint of continental hermeneutical philosophy, as developed by thinkers such as Gadamer, Ricoeur, Vattimo and Heidegger. This involves bringing the problems of legal interpretation to the centre of philosophical discussion and dealing with issues involving the relevance of law to other disciplines. The book then examines law as a tradition of conflicting interpretations, emphasizing temporality as a central dimension of the existence of law. In conclusion, current problems of epistemology and methodology of law are discussed, using the framework developed in the earlier sections of the book.

204 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Jarkko Tontti is a writer, living in Helsinki, Finland

Tontti studied law, philosophy and literature at the universities of Helsinki, Edinburgh, Berlin and Brussels. Doctor of Laws 2002. He has published collections of poems, novels and essays. His first poetry collection Vuosikirja (Book of Years, 2006) won the Kalevi Jäntti literature prize for young authors.

His poems have been translated into twenty languages, English, French, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Estonian, German, Greek, Slovenian, Polish, Latin, Czech, Romanian, Marathi, Croatian, Hebrew and Portuguese.

Tel: +358400784313
E-mail: jarkkotontti@jarkkotontti.net

Books

Vuosikirja (Book of Years, poems, 2006)

Luokkakokous (Class reunion, novel, 2007)

Jacasser (Jacasser, poems, 2009)

Koti, uskonto ja isänmaa (Home, Religion and Fatherland, essays, 2011)

Sali (Gym, novel, 2011)

Vedeeran taru (The Tale of Vedeera, fantasy novel, 2012)

Lento (Flight, novel, 2013)

Viisastuminen sallittu (Wisening permitted, essays, 2016)

Perintö (Legacy, novel, 2018)

Vedeera vaarallisilla vesillä (Vedeera in Perilous Waters, fantasy novel, 2018)

Lain laita (runoja, poetry, 2020)

Haava (Wound, novel, 2021)

Vedeera ja polttavan auringon maa (Vedeera and the Land of the Burning Sun, fantasy novel, 2022)

Tarkoituksista ja keinoista (Means and Ends, essays, 2022)

Kangasalan ja Jerusalemin runot (Poems from Kangasala and Jerusalem, 2024)

Vedeera ja vuorten pitkät varjot, 2026