Mythology of Modern Law

"The Mythology of Modern Law" is a radical reappraisal of the role of myth in modern society. Fitzpatrick uses the example of law, an integral category of modern social thought, to challenge the claims of modernity which deny the relevance of myth to the practice of law in modern society. Peter Fitzpatrick argues that law is mythic both in its origin and as a continuing social force, and depends for its identity on other mythic categories, such as the nation, the individual and the "sciences of man and society". He traces the development of the hold of mythology on Western society to the Enlightenment, despite the supposedly secular rationality of that period, and shows how it was strengthened by the experience of imperialism, when European identity was created in opposition to racially defined "others". Challenging and controversial, "The Mythology of Modern Law" questions current conceptions of legal and social theory. It revises the very foundations of jurisprudence and the sociology of law and undermines the exclusive stands taken within these disciplines.

`The Mythology of Modern Law represents a substantial advance in the project of critical jurisprudence' - Law & Social Inquiry`This is a rich and thoughtful book.' - Times Higher Education SupplementAs ever, Fitzpatrick's work reveals great erudition. . . . The Mythology of Modern Law is an imaginative and important work . . . the book is a significant contribution to our understanding of both law and colonialism, and should be required reading for anyone concerned with the protection of rights and the establishment of democracy in the developing world - Sammy Adelman, Review of African Political Economy