Living Law: Reconsidering Eugen Ehrlich (Onati International Series in Law and Society)

Eugen Ehrlich (1862-1922) was an eminent Austrian legal theorist and professor of Roman law. He is considered by many as one of the 'founding fathers' of modern sociology of law. Although the importance of his work (including his concept of 'living law') is widely recognized, Ehrlich has not yet received the serious international attention he deserves. Therefore, this collection of essays is aimed at 'reconsidering' Eugen Ehrlich by discussing both the historical and theoretical context of his work and its relevance for contemporary law and society scholarship. Living Law has been divided into four parts. Part I paints a lively picture of the Bukowina region in southeastern Europe, where Ehrlich was born in 1862. Moreover it considers the political and academic atmosphere at the end of the 19th century. Part II discusses the main concepts and ideas of Ehrlich's sociology of law and considers the reception of Ehrlich's work in the German speaking world, in the US, and in Japan. Part III is concerned with the work of Ehrlich in relation to that of some his contemporaries, including Roscoe Pound, Hans Kelsen, and Cornelis van Vollenhoven. Part IV focuses on the relevance of Ehrlich's work for current socio-legal studies. Living Law provides both an introduction to the important and innovative scholarship of Eugen Ehrlich, as well as a starting point for further reading and discussion. (Series: Onati International Series in Law and Society)