New Books: Legal Philosophy and Education

In this innovative book, Mark Giancaspro examines the origins, functions, principles and legacies of the common law doctrine of consideration that regulates contractual exchange. Through a systematic analysis, he explores deep-rooted rules and current controversies in legal jurisdictions across the world. Covering both the formation and renegotiation stage of a contract's life, Consideration in Contract Lawprovides an overview of the history of the doctrine of consideration, as well as the related civil law doctrine of causa promissionis. Chapters review their core principles, and investigate how gifts can be distinguished from legal promises. Combining theoretical work with legal analysis, they set out how consideration can vary, for example through the existing legal duty rule and the practical benefit principle. The book also examines unique and novel forms of consideration, inspecting the legal sufficiency of natural love and affection, cryptocurrency, virtual property and lucky charms. Providing crucial guidance on the purpose and influence of the doctrine of consideration, this book is an essential read for students and scholars of private law and contract law. It is also a valuable resource for judges and commercial lawyers seeking to understand and resolve consideration problems.

Building on many years of scholarship, Matthew H. Kramer sets out his definitive philosophical investigation of rights and rights-holding with this monograph, as he sometimes revisits and modifies his previous positions. Beginning with the analytical schema propounded by the American legal theorist Wesley Hohfeld, the book provides a defence of the proposition that every claim-right with a certain content is correlative to at least one duty with the same content and that every duty with a certain content is correlative to at least one claim-right with the same content. The volume then addresses the longstanding debates over the nature of right-holding, with a sustained defense of the Interest Theory and with some innovative critiques of the Will Theory. Finally, it considers the ethical and analytical questions involved in determining who can hold claim-rights at all. It argues that the beings capable of holding claim-rights include not only human adults of sound mind but also all other living human beings, many dead people, and all future generations of people, along with most non-human animals. Addressing some major topics within moral, legal, and political philosophy,Rights and Right-Holding: A Philosophical Investigation will be a key work for philosophers and academic lawyers alike.

Seeds of Change: The International Vegan Rights Alliance and the Vegan Rights Revolution emphasizes that the legal protection of vegans is important to the campaign for animal protection. It explains the social, political, and legal context for the practice of veganism. This book documents the history of the campaign for vegan rights, the dedicated work of the International Vegan Rights Alliance, and shows how the idea of rights for vegans generated significant interest around the world resulting in veganism being formally recognized in law. Seeds of Change encourages vegans to defend their right to live with compassion in their daily lives and inspires further vegan rights advocacy as seeds of change that contribute to animal protection.