Dictionaries

A Dictionary of Legal Theory by Brian H. Bix

Modern legal theory contains a wide range of approaches and topics: from economic analysis of law to feminist legal theory to traditional analytical legal philosophy to a range of theories about justice. This healthy variety of jurisprudential work has created a problem: students and theorists working in one tradition may have difficulty understanding the concepts and terminology of a different tradition. This book works to make terminology and ways of thinking accessible. This dictionary covers topics from 'the autonomy of law' to the 'will theory of rights', from 'autopoiesis' to 'wealth maximization', and from 'John Austin' to 'Ludwig Wittgenstein'. The most important concepts and ideas are presented in a simple dictionary format. There are also many longer entries, where the initial definition gives an accessible explanation, but the entry goes on to give more detailed information about the history of an idea and the debates currently surrounding it.

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1. For proper research, a variety of exhaustive, unabridged dictionaries.
2. For daily work on campus and on the move, a couple full size dictionaries large enough to provide elaborate information, but small enough to fit into a book bag or daypack.
3. For work over coffee and opened texts at the coffeehouse, a small size dictionary that will offer, for the most part, basic definitions of words stumbled upon in readings.

Also, it's always great to be close to a good library where you can find the complete Oxford sets.

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