Get Free Shipping on orders over $89
Groundless Law : Hans Kelsenâs Critical Legal Theory - Kristina Cufar

Groundless Law

Hans Kelsenâs Critical Legal Theory

By: Kristina Cufar

Hardcover | 7 August 2026 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Hardcover


RRP $284.00

$246.75

13%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $61.69 with

 or 

Available: 7th August 2026

Preorder. Will ship when available.

This book explores the critical edge of Hans Kelsenâs pure theory of law, often muted in doctrinal interpretations, and highlights how Kelsen sought to radically redefine both legal science and legal reality.

The pure theoryâs foundational concept of the Grundnorm (the basic norm) serves as the unifying thread of this book, demonstrating Kelsenâs conviction that any content whatsoever can be law, as he was wary of ideological justifications of positive law. While Kelsen understood law as a result of material political struggles, he prioritized the normative over the factual and thus slipped into a mystification of his object of cognition. To flesh out the iconoclastic features of Kelsenâs thought and the limitations of his neo-Kantian rationality, this book engages with Kelsenâs affinity with Friedrich Nietzscheâs unruly philosophy. The deconstructive ethos of the pure theory is considered through a parallel reading of Kelsen and Jacques Derrida, demonstrating that the pure theory deploys deconstruction avant la lettre, but is self-deconstructing. Concluding with a restatement of the Grundnorm, the book provides a fresh perspective on Kelsenâs seminal theory and its confrontation with a world in crisis.

The book is intended primarily for scholars and researchers in legal philosophy and jurisprudence, as well as academic audiences in political theory, social sciences, history, and the humanities.

More in Philosophy

When Words Fail Us : Truth Beyond Time - Stan Grant

RRP $26.99

$24.75

Joyful, Anyway : Finding Delight in Impossible Times - Kate Bowler
How Lucky Am I : A Skeleton's Guide to Living Your Best Life - Christian Watson
Ikigai : The Japanese secret to a long and happy life - Héctor García
The Beginning Comes After the End : Notes on a World of Change - Rebecca Solnit
The Book of Coffee : A philosophy - Julian Baggini

RRP $32.99

$26.99

18%
OFF
In Praise of Shadows and Other Essays - Junichiro Tanizaki

RRP $27.99

$24.99

11%
OFF
In Praise of the Earth : A Journey into the Garden - Byung-Chul Han
Prana : One Breath, Many Worlds - BERNIE CLARK

RRP $44.99

$37.75

16%
OFF
Hood Feminism : Notes from the Women White Feminists Forgot - Mikki Kendall
12 Rules for Life : Antidote to Chaos - Jordan B. Peterson

RRP $26.99

$21.99

19%
OFF
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind : 50th Anniversary Edition - Shunryu Suzuki