Leslie Green (philosopher)
Encyclopedia
Leslie Green is a leading scholar in the analytic
philosophy of law, or jurisprudence as it is often called by academic lawyers.
Born in Bridge of Weir
, Renfrewshire
, Scotland
, and educated at Queen's University
, Canada, and at Nuffield College, Oxford
, he completed his dissertation—which culminated in a book, The Authority of the State—under professors Charles Taylor
and later Joseph Raz
.
In 2006, Green was elected to the Professorship of Philosophy of Law at Oxford University, which includes a Fellowship at Balliol College. The Professorship, a new statutory chair, was created upon the retirement of Joseph Raz from his personal Chair, also at Balliol. It is one of just two statutory professorships in jurisprudence
at Oxford, the other being held by John Gardner
. In 2010, the distinguished lawyer, Philip Gordon, endowed the Balliol fellowship, and Green became the first Pauline and Max Gordon Fellow at Balliol. At the same time, Green took up a part-time appointment as Professor and Distinguished University Fellow in the Philosophy of Law at Queen's University (Canada.) Green is also an Adjunct Professor at McMaster University(Canada).
Green has also taught at Lincoln College, Oxford, at Boalt Hall Law School at the University of California
, Berkeley; at the University of Chicago Law School, and was for several years a Regular Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin
law school. He has been a visiting fellow at Columbia University
's Center for Law and Philosophy, and a Hauser Global Faculty member at New York University
School of Law.
Green writes on political philosophy, legal obligation and authority, legal reasoning, as well as on moral and legal issues surrounding sexuality. His work defends surprising combinations of ideas. He is a defender of legal positivism
who argues that there are many necessary connections between law and morality. He denies that there is a general duty to obey the law, but thinks reasonably just legal systems are morally valuable and are to be defended where they exist and established where they do not. He is a liberal in sexual ethics who maintains that sexual objectification is sometimes a good thing.
Analytic philosophy
Analytic philosophy is a generic term for a style of philosophy that came to dominate English-speaking countries in the 20th century...
philosophy of law, or jurisprudence as it is often called by academic lawyers.
Born in Bridge of Weir
Bridge of Weir
Bridge of Weir is a village in within the Renfrewshire council area and wider historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
, 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...
, and educated at Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
, Canada, and at Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college and primarily a research establishment, specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. It is a research centre in the social sciences...
, he completed his dissertation—which culminated in a book, The Authority of the State—under professors Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor (philosopher)
Charles Margrave Taylor, is a Canadian philosopher from Montreal, Quebec best known for his contributions in political philosophy, the philosophy of social science, and in the history of philosophy. His contributions to these fields have earned him both the prestigious Kyoto Prize and the...
and later Joseph Raz
Joseph Raz
Joseph Raz is a legal, moral and political philosopher. He is one of the most prominent advocates of legal positivism. He has spent most of his career as professor of philosophy of law and a fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and simultaneously as professor of law at Columbia University Law...
.
In 2006, Green was elected to the Professorship of Philosophy of Law at Oxford University, which includes a Fellowship at Balliol College. The Professorship, a new statutory chair, was created upon the retirement of Joseph Raz from his personal Chair, also at Balliol. It is one of just two statutory professorships in jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
at Oxford, the other being held by John Gardner
John Gardner (law)
John Gardner is Professor of Jurisprudence, University of Oxford and Fellow of University College, Oxford. He received his B.A., B.C.L., M.A., and D.Phil. from the University of Oxford, where he has also been associated with New College , All Souls College , and Brasenose College...
. In 2010, the distinguished lawyer, Philip Gordon, endowed the Balliol fellowship, and Green became the first Pauline and Max Gordon Fellow at Balliol. At the same time, Green took up a part-time appointment as Professor and Distinguished University Fellow in the Philosophy of Law at Queen's University (Canada.) Green is also an Adjunct Professor at McMaster University(Canada).
Green has also taught at Lincoln College, Oxford, at Boalt Hall Law School at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, Berkeley; at the University of Chicago Law School, and was for several years a Regular Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
law school. He has been a visiting fellow at Columbia University
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...
's Center for Law and Philosophy, and a Hauser Global Faculty member at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
School of Law.
Green writes on political philosophy, legal obligation and authority, legal reasoning, as well as on moral and legal issues surrounding sexuality. His work defends surprising combinations of ideas. He is a defender of legal positivism
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...
who argues that there are many necessary connections between law and morality. He denies that there is a general duty to obey the law, but thinks reasonably just legal systems are morally valuable and are to be defended where they exist and established where they do not. He is a liberal in sexual ethics who maintains that sexual objectification is sometimes a good thing.