Juristic Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law : A Critique of Contemporary Legal Nonpositivism

This book presents the theory of the validity of legal norms, aimed at the practice of law, in particular the jurisdiction of the constitutional courts. The postpositivist concept of the validity of statutory law, grounded on a critical analysis of the basic theories of legal validity elaborated up to now, is introduced. In the first part of the book a contemporary German nonpositivist conception of law developed by Ralf Dreier and Robert Alexy is analysed in order to answer the question whether the juristic concept of legal validity should include moral standards or criteria. In the second part, a postpositivist concept of legal validity and an innovative model of validity discourse, based on the juristic presumption of the validity of legal norms, are proposed. The book is a work on analytical legal theory, written from a postpositivist, detached point of view. Preface 6 Abbreviations 8 Contents 14 Chapter 1: Introduction 18 Part I: Critique of the Nonpositivist Conception of Law 26 Chapter 2: The Nonpositivist Concept of Law 27 2.1 Historical Background: The Role of ``Radbruch ́s Formula ́ ́ 27 2.2 The Nonpositivist Conception of Ralf Dreier and Robert Alexy 30 2.3 Some Remarks on the Construction of the Nonpositivist Definition of Law 34 2.4 The Nonpositivist Conception of Law and the Concept of Legal Validity (Preliminary Remarks) 36 Chapter 3: Argumentation for the Nonpositivist Concept of Law 39 3.1 The Methodological Framework of Nonpositivist Argumentation 39 3.2 Ralf Dreier ́s Nonpositivist Argumentation 45 3.3 Robert Alexy ́s Nonpositivist Argumentation 51 3.3.1 Alexy ́s Analytical Argumentation 53 3.3.2 Alexy ́s Normative Argumentation 60 3.3.3 Revisions and Supplements in Begriff und Geltung des Rechts 67 Chapter 4: Critique of Nonpositivist Argumentation 76 4.1 A Critique of the Nonpositivist Conception of Law 76 4.2 Controversial Points of Nonpositivist Argumentation 81 4.3 Lex iniustissima non est lex? 83 4.3.1 Reconstruction of the Nonpositivist Standpoint 85 4.3.2 Discussion of the Positivist Objection 91 4.4 The Non-cognitivist Objection 99 4.4.1 Is Alexy a Cognitivist? 101 4.4.2 Preliminary Appraisal of the Non-cognitivist Objection 104 4.5 Discursive Rehabilitation of Practical Reason? 106 4.5.1 Logical Validity of the Transcendental-Pragmatic Argument 109 4.5.2 Justification of the Premises of the Transcendental-Pragmatic Argument 114 4.5.3 Conclusion of the Analysis of the Transcendental-Pragmatic Argument 126 4.5.4 Additional Elements of the Justification of the Universal Validity of the Rules of Practical Discourse 126 4.5.5 Is the Discursive Rehabilitation of Practical Reason Successful? 129 4.6 Is the Nonpositivist Conception of Law Truly Nonpositivist? 132 4.6.1 Arguments Justifying Suspicions of Crypto-Positivism 132 4.6.2 Identification of the Opponent: Trennungsthese 136 4.6.3 Hard Positivism, Soft Positivism and Nonpositivism 141 4.7 The Problem of Justification of the Argument from Correctness 153 4.7.1 Justification by Means of Performativer Widerspruch: Preliminary Remarks 154 4.7.2 From Cogito, Ergo Sum to Claim to Correctness 157 4.7.3 Justification of Richtigkeitsargument by Means of Recognition of ``Performative Contradiction ́ ́ 166 4.7.4 Justification by Means of the Argument from Alternative 174 4.8 Critique of Normative Argumentation 176 4.8.1 Argument from Efficiency 177 4.8.2 Argument from Candour 184 4.8.3 The Problem of an ``Enlightened ́ ́ Morality 187 4.9 Some Remarks About Nonpositivist Empirical Argumentation 195 4.10 An Attempt at Evaluating the Nonpositivist Conception of Law 203 Chapter 5: The Nonpositivist Conception of Law and the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Law 207 5.1 General Objections Against the Nonpositivist Definitions of Law 207 5.2 Specific Objections from the Point of View of Legal Theory and Legal Practice 215 5.3 The Need for an Axiologically Detached and Impartial Concept of the Validity of Law 221 Part II: Clarification of the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law 228 Chapter 6: Preliminaries to the Clarification of the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law 229 6.1 The Idea of Clarification 229 6.2 Setting the Objectives of the Clarification of the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law 234 6.3 The Point of View and the Moral Aspect of the Legal Theory Statements 238 6.4 The Referent of the Concept of Legal Validity 249 Chapter 7: Critique of the Jurisprudential Conceptions of Legal Validity 259 7.1 On the Method of Clarificative Analysis 259 7.1.1 On the Relativisation of the Expression: ``A norm is valid ́ ́ 264 7.1.2 The Nature, Linguistic Stylisation and Structure of the Definition of the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law 272 7.1.3 Linguistic and Terminological Remarks 279 7.2 Legal Validity Understood as the Membership of Norms in a Legal System 283 7.2.1 Introductory Remarks 283 7.2.2 Four Arguments 287 7.2.3 Conclusions 322 7.3 Legal Validity Understood as the Application of Norms 324 7.4 Legal Validity Understood as the Applicability of Norms 333 7.5 Legal Validity Understood in Terms of Observance or Efficacy 346 7.6 Legal Validity Defined by Means of the Combination of Concepts 356 7.6.1 Is the Nonpositivist Definition of Law a Clarification? 361 7.7 En passant Comment 366 Chapter 8: The Postpositivist Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law 370 8.1 Juristic Language, Types of Juristic Concepts and Modes of Their Creation 370 8.2 Linguistic and Logical Characterisation of Utterances Concerning the Validity of Norms in Juristic Language 378 8.2.1 Pragmatic Analysis of Juristic Utterances Concerning Validity 391 8.3 Logical Redundancy of Purely Normative Utterances Concerning the Validity of Norms 411 8.3.1 Normative Concept of Legal Validity 424 8.4 The Legal Situation and the Pragmatic Approach to Law 433 8.4.1 The Concept of Legal Situation 435 8.4.2 The Pragmatic Conception of Legal Norm 438 8.5 The Regulative Definition of the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law 444 8.6 The Overview of the Clarification of the Intension of the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law 452 Chapter 9: Discourse of Validity and the Juristic Presumption of the Validity of Statutory Law Norms 465 9.1 The Argumentative Approach to the Clarification of Extension of the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law 465 9.2 The Concept of Juristic Discourse 469 9.3 Validity Discourse 480 9.3.1 Types of Validity Discourse 481 9.3.2 The Discourse of Justification and the Discourse of Application 483 9.3.3 The Forms of Validity Discourse 486 9.3.4 Possible Solutions for Validity Discourse 488 9.4 The Structure of Validity Discourse Sensu Stricto 491 9.4.1 The Juristic Presumption of the Validity of Statutory Law Norms 494 9.4.2 The Rules of the Burden of Juristic Argumentation on Validity 501 9.5 Methods of Validity Argumentation 504 9.5.1 The Blockage of Presumption 506 9.5.2 The Expiry and the Cancellation of Presumption 508 9.5.3 The Rebuttal and the Destruction of Presumption by Means of Validity Arguments 510 9.5.4 The Initial Circumvention of Presumption 513 9.5.5 The Final Circumvention of Presumption 514 9.5.6 The Suspension of Presumption 523 9.5.7 The Revival of Presumption 528 9.6 Remarks on Possible Classifications and Ways of Analysing Validity Arguments 531 9.6.1 An Example of the Analysis of Validity Arguments: The Argument from ``Radbruch ́s Formula ́ ́ 536 9.7 Juristic Presumption of the Validity of Statutory Law Norms vis-à-vis ignorantia iuris nocet and ignorantia legis neminem excusat Principles 539 9.8 Some Remarks About the Applicability of the Proposed Model of Analysing Validity Discourse Sensu Stricto 543 Chapter 10: Epilogue 546 References 551 Index 594 "Presents the theory of the validity of legal norms, aimed at the practice of law, in particular the jurisdiction of the constitutional courts. The postpositivist concept of the validity of statutory law, grounded on a critical analysis of the basic theories of legal validity elaborated up to now, is introduced. In the first part of the book a contemporary German nonpositivist conception of law developed by Ralf Dreier and Robert Alexy is analysed in order to answer the question whether the juristic concept of legal validity should include moral standards or criteria. In the second part, a postpositivist concept of legal validity and an innovative model of validity discourse, based on the juristic presumption of the validity of legal norms, are proposed. The book is a work on analytical legal theory, written from a postpositivist, detached point of view"--Unedited summary from book cover Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Introduction....Pages 1-8 Front Matter....Pages 9-9 The Nonpositivist Concept of Law....Pages 11-22 Argumentation for the Nonpositivist Concept of Law....Pages 23-59 Critique of Nonpositivist Argumentation....Pages 61-191 The Nonpositivist Conception of Law and the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Law....Pages 193-213 Front Matter....Pages 215-215 Preliminaries to the Clarification of the Juristic Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law....Pages 217-246 Critique of the Jurisprudential Conceptions of Legal Validity....Pages 247-357 The Postpositivist Concept of the Validity of Statutory Law....Pages 359-453 Discourse of Validity and the Juristic Presumption of the Validity of Statutory Law Norms....Pages 455-535 Epilogue....Pages 537-541 Back Matter....Pages 543-595