Jeremy Waldron
Encyclopedia
Jeremy Waldron is professor of law and philosophy at the New York University School of Law
and Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory
at All Souls College, Oxford University.
(1974) and an LL.B.
(1978) from the University of Otago
, New Zealand, and a D.Phil. (1986) from Oxford University, where he studied under legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin
and political theorist Alan Ryan
. He also taught legal and political philosophy at Otago
(1975–78), Lincoln College, Oxford
(1980–82), the University of Edinburgh
, Scotland
(1983–87), the Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program at Boalt Hall School of Law at Berkeley (1986–96), Princeton University
(1996–97), and Columbia Law School
(1997–2006). He has also been a visiting professor at Cornell
(1989–90), Otago
(1991–92) and Columbia
(1995) Universities.
Waldron gave the second series of Seeley Lectures at Cambridge University
in 1996, the 1999 Carlyle Lectures at Oxford, the spring 2000 University Lecture at Columbia Law School
, the Wesson Lectures at Stanford University
in 2004, and the Storrs Lectures at Yale Law School
in 2007. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1998.
Waldron holds an adjunct professorship at Victoria University
in his native New Zealand
. His students at Columbia University would place kiwi fruit on the lectern he taught from as a humorous comment on his Kiwi (New Zealand) heritage.
in both the general and American senses of the word, and a normative
legal positivist
. He has written extensively on the analysis and justification of private property, the political and legal philosophy of John Locke
, and is an outspoken opponent of the American practice of judicial review
, which he believes to be in tension with democratic principles.
Waldron has also criticized analytic legal philosophy for its failure to engage with the questions addressed by political theory. In recent years, he has also been a noted opponent of legal arguments which justify coercive interrogation techniques. He has been classified as a civil libertarian
by Eric Posner
and Adrian Vermeule
.
In 2005, Waldron received an honorary doctorate from the University of Otago, his Alma Mater.
Articles
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
and Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory
Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory
The Chichele professorial chair in social and political theory is one of the statutory Chichele Professorships at All Souls College, Oxford. This Chair was established 1944.-Chichele Professors of Social and Political Theory:* G. D. H...
at All Souls College, Oxford University.
Career
Waldron holds a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(1974) and an LL.B.
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
(1978) from the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
, New Zealand, and a D.Phil. (1986) from Oxford University, where he studied under legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin
Ronald Dworkin
Ronald Myles Dworkin, QC, FBA is an American philosopher and scholar of constitutional law. He is Frank Henry Sommer Professor of Law and Philosophy at New York University and Emeritus Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London, and has taught previously at Yale Law School and the...
and political theorist Alan Ryan
Alan Ryan
Alan James Ryan, FBA was Warden of New College, Oxford, and Professor of Politics at the University of Oxford and currently a lecturer at Princeton University....
. He also taught legal and political philosophy at Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
(1975–78), Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
(1980–82), the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(1983–87), the Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program at Boalt Hall School of Law at Berkeley (1986–96), Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(1996–97), and Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
(1997–2006). He has also been a visiting professor at Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
(1989–90), Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
(1991–92) and Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(1995) Universities.
Waldron gave the second series of Seeley Lectures at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1996, the 1999 Carlyle Lectures at Oxford, the spring 2000 University Lecture at Columbia Law School
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, the Wesson Lectures at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 2004, and the Storrs Lectures at Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in 2007. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1998.
Waldron holds an adjunct professorship at Victoria University
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
in his native New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. His students at Columbia University would place kiwi fruit on the lectern he taught from as a humorous comment on his Kiwi (New Zealand) heritage.
Legal and philosophical viewpoints
Waldron is a liberalLiberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
in both the general and American senses of the word, and a normative
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
legal positivist
Legal positivism
Legal positivism is a school of thought of philosophy of law and jurisprudence, largely developed by nineteenth-century legal thinkers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Austin. However, the most prominent figure in the history of legal positivism is H.L.A...
. He has written extensively on the analysis and justification of private property, the political and legal philosophy of John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
, and is an outspoken opponent of the American practice of judicial review
Judicial review
Judicial review is the doctrine under which legislative and executive actions are subject to review by the judiciary. Specific courts with judicial review power must annul the acts of the state when it finds them incompatible with a higher authority...
, which he believes to be in tension with democratic principles.
Waldron has also criticized analytic legal philosophy for its failure to engage with the questions addressed by political theory. In recent years, he has also been a noted opponent of legal arguments which justify coercive interrogation techniques. He has been classified as a civil libertarian
Civil libertarianism
Civil libertarianism is a strain of political thought that supports civil liberties, or who emphasizes the supremacy of individual rights and personal freedoms over and against any kind of authority...
by Eric Posner
Eric Posner
Eric Andrew Posner is Kirkland and Ellis Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School. He is the son of the prominent federal appellate judge Richard Posner.-Education and clerkship:...
and Adrian Vermeule
Adrian Vermeule
Adrian Vermeule, who is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, has been Professor of Law at Harvard Law School since 2006 and was named John H. Watson Professor of Law in 2008. He was a Visiting Professor of Law in 2005...
.
In 2005, Waldron received an honorary doctorate from the University of Otago, his Alma Mater.
Publications
Books- 1984. Theories of Rights, edited vol. ISBN 0-19-875063-3
- 1988. The Right to Private Property. ISBN 0-19-823937-8, ISBN 0-19-824326-X
- 1988. Nonsense Upon Stilts: Bentham, Burke and Marx on the Rights of Man, edited vol. ISBN 0-416-91890-5
- 1990. The Law: Theory and Practice in British Politics. ISBN 0-415-01427-1
- 1993. Liberal Rights: Collected Papers 1981–91. ISBN 0-521-43617-6
- 1999. The Dignity of Legislation, Seeley Lectures. ISBN 0-521-65883-7, ISBN 85-336-1896-4 (Portuguese translation)
- 1999. Law and Disagreement. ISBN 0-19-924303-4
- 2002. God, Locke and Equality. ISBN 0-521-89057-8
- 2010. Torture, Terror, and Trade-Offs: Philosophy for the White House. ISBN 978-0-19-958504-5
Articles
- 2001, "Normative (or Ethical) Positivism" in Jules Coleman (ed.), Hart's Postscript: Essays on the Postscript to The Concept of Law. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-829908-7
- 2003, "Who is my Neighbor?: Humanity and Proximity," The MonistThe MonistThe Monist: An International Quarterly Journal of General Philosophical Inquiry is an American academic journal in the field of philosophy. It was founded in October 1890 by Edward C. Hegeler, making it one of the longest-established journals in philosophy...
86. - 2004, "Settlement, Return, and the Supersession Thesis," Theoretical Inquiries in LawTheoretical Inquiries in LawTheoretical Inquiries in Law is a biannnual peer-reviewed Israeli law journal published by Tel Aviv University....
5. - 2004, “Terrorism and the Uses of Terror”. The Journal of Ethics, Vol. 8, No. 1, Terrorism (2004) pp. 5–35.
- 2005, "Torture and Positive Law: Jurisprudence for the White House," Columbia Law Review 105.
- 2006, "The Core of the Case Against Judicial Review," Yale Law Journal 115.
External links
- NYU Law Faculty Profile.
- "NYU's Big Raid," New York ObserverNew York ObserverThe New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and...
, 13 March 2006 (on Waldron's appointment at NYU). - Debate with John YooJohn YooJohn Choon Yoo is an American attorney, law professor, and author. As a former official in the United States Department of Justice during the George W...
on torture. - Waldron archive from The New York Review of BooksThe New York Review of BooksThe New York Review of Books is a fortnightly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs. Published in New York City, it takes as its point of departure that the discussion of important books is itself an indispensable literary activity...
- "NYU's Waldron to Take Up Chichele Chair at Oxford on Half-Time Basis" Leiter Reports, 17 December 2009.