Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-304) and index.

Overview, purpose, and methodology -- Legal theory : general jurisprudence and conceptual analysis -- H. L. A. Hart and legal positivism -- Hans Kelsen's pure theory of law -- Natural law theory and John Finnis -- Understanding Lon Fuller -- Ronald Dworkin's interpretive approach -- Justice -- Punishment -- Rights and rights talk -- Will and reason -- Authority, finality, and mistake -- Common law reasoning and precedent -- Statutory interpretation and legislative intentions -- Legal enforcement of morality -- The obligation to obey the law -- American legal realism -- Economic analysis of law -- Modern critical perspectives -- Law and literature -- Philosophical foundations of the common law -- Other approaches.

"Jurisprudence: Theory and Context is aimed at students new to the study of legal philosophy, while also offering new ideas and perspectives for established scholars. The text explains the often complex and difficult ideas in jurisprudence clearly, while avoiding distortion or oversimplification. As well as introducing the reader to the fundamental themes in legal philosophy, the book also describes and comments critically on the writing of the foremost legal theorists. The new ninth edition contains new material on nearly every page, with significantly updated references and suggested further readings which reflect the most recent scholarship"-- Provided by publisher.