various readings of natural law

Readings in comparative sociology of law: Law and Development

The Cultural Power of Law? Conjunctive Readings

Sally Merry’s (1999) Colonizing Hawai’i: The Cultural Power of Law provides a compelling account of the cultural transformation of the Kingdom of Hawaii in the nineteenth century. The focus is on the law, particularly on the manner in which Hawaiian alii (chiefs) and American lawyers and missionaries sought to make of Hawaii a modern, sovereign nation on the model of the ‘‘civilized world,’’ a ...

Adult guardianship: narrative readings in the "shadow" of the law?

Adult guardianship is not a new idea; the concept was recognized in Roman times (McLaughlin, 1979; Sherman, 1980). Common law adult guardianship originated in the 13th century prerogative powers of the royal courts of England, who could appoint a person known as a “committee” of the person or his property (Krasik, 1989; Neugebauer, 1978). Over much of their life, these powers were administered ...

Further Readings Further Readings

“Baby Bollinger” (first name: Allen) was born to Anna and Allen Bollinger at the German-American Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. The seven-pound Baby Bollinger was diagnosed with multiple physical anomalies and became the first victim in a string of public infanticides of disabled babies committed by the head of staff at the hospital, Dr. Harry Haiselden. The doctor declared Baby Bollinger a “mo...

Euthanasia and natural law.

“natural” Law Revisited

articulates a view of natural law that is reflected in how judges apply the law to decide cases. This view, he argues, is different from the traditional metaphysical view of natural law, which says that what the law is must be determined by what the law ought to be. He argues that his view of natural law insists that the content of law may sometimes depend on the correct answer to some moral qu...