CFP: Economics and Philosophy in Private Law Theory

The 10th MetaLawEcon workshop will focus on recent developments in theoretical work on private law.

Where does the debate about the role of economics and philosophy in private law scholarship stand now and where should it go? 

More specific issues to discuss include the following:

·       What do, and should, private law theories try to achieve? What are the epistemic and normative virtues private law scholarship should aspire to?

·       What are the explananda of private law theory: case outcomes, judicial behaviour, legal reasoning, doctrines, structures, institutions, ideological constructs?

·       In what respects are economic theories superior to philosophical accounts or vice versa? Is it possible, and desirable to combine or integrate these rival theories, “vertically” or “horizontally”?

·       What is private law for? Does doctrinal legal scholarship provide credible alternative accounts of (areas of) private law that are neither “economic” nor “philosophical”?

·       What is the optimal level of generality in private law theory? Given the cultural diversity and temporal variation in law, how should scholarship go beyond a particular jurisdiction at a particular moment in time? Can philosophy reveal commonalities behind doctrinal diversity? Can economics?

·       What is private about private law? In what sense are publicly enforceable interpersonal obligations private? If private law qua law is public, hence political, is there any room for recognising a distinctly private law at all?

These and related questions shall be discussed at an interdisciplinary workshop at the Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, 5-6 July 2019.

Papers on the questions above are especially welcome but submissions on any aspect of the general theme will be considered. Contributions from all relevant disciplines, using all methodologies are welcome.

There will be no participation fee charged for the workshop. Participants should make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

If you want to present a paper, please submit an abstract of about 500 words for consideration to [email protected] by Friday, 15 March 2019.

Selection of papers, as well as assigned discussants, will be determined by the convenors. The planned notification date is 30 March. If your paper is selected you will be asked to provide a full draft no later than 20 June to be circulated in advance among participants. A limited number of non-presenting participants will be accepted.