Key Concepts Critical Legal Thinking

The following is an evolving list of key concepts and themes in critical (legal) theory. Follow the hyperlinks for explanations. We are keen to receive further contributions to this page: please refer to our call for contributions.

Karl Marx / Marxist Legal Theory

Constitutionalism (Marco Goldoni) forthcoming
Commodity-Form Theory of Law (William M. A. Chandler)
Criminal Courts (Sam Menefee-Libey)
Development (Julia Dehm) forthcoming
Dictatorship of the Proletariat (Dimitrios Kivotidis)
Migration and Borders (Adam Hanieh) forthcoming
Security (George Rigakos)
Property (Brenna Bhandar) forthcoming
Gender, Race, and Sexuality (Katie Cruz) forthcoming
State (Rafael Khachaturian)

Achille Mbembe

Necropolitics (Antonio Pele)

Jean-Luc Nancy

Abandonment (Gilbert Leung)
Jurisfiction (Gilbert Leung)
Right and Rights (Illan rua Wall)
Eco-Technics (Illan rua Wall)
Politics & the Political (Illan rua Wall)
Law (Gilbert Leung)
Human Rights (Jean-Luc Nancy)
Sovereignty (Jean-Luc Nancy)

Evgeny Pashukanis

Commodity-Form Theory of Law (William M. A. Chandler)

Carl Schmitt

Federation (Signe Larsen)
Katechon (Calvin Dieter Ullrich)

Baruch Spinoza

Conatus (Stephen Connelly)
Potentia (Stephen Connelly)
Natural right (Stephen Connelly)
Imperium (Stephen Connelly)
Interpretation (Stephen Connelly)

+ extras

Critical Bibliographies

Human Rights (Illan rua Wall)

Positions of Critique

Cynicism (Gilbert Leung)
TWAIL (Luis Eslava)

Key Concepts

Critical Bibliographies

Pos­i­tions of Critique

Positions of Critique