Reinach and the Foundations of Private Law

This volume introduces the legal philosopher Adolf Reinach and his contributions to speech act theory, as well as his analysis of basic legal concepts and their relationship to positive law. Reinach’s thorough analysis has recently garnered growing interest in private law theory, yet his ‘phenomenological realist’ philosophical approach is not in line with contemporary mainstream approaches. The essays in this volume resuscitate and interrogate Reinach’s unique account of the foundations of private law, situating him in contemporary private law theory and broader philosophical currents. The work also makes Reinach’s methods more accessible to those unfamiliar with early phenomenology. Together these contributions prove that while Reinach’s perspective on private law shares similarities and points of departure with trends in today’s legal theory, many of his insights remain singular and illuminating in their own right. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Marietta Auer is Professor of Law and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt.

Paul B. Miller is the Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law and Associate Dean for International and Graduate Programs at Notre Dame Law School, where he directs the Notre Dame Program on Private Law.

Henry E. Smith is the Fessenden Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where he directs the Project on the Foundations of Private Law.

James Toomey is Associate Professor of Law at the University of Iowa. Previously, he was an assistant professor of law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, New York.