Ronald Dworkin — Law as Integrity
By
Vini Singh
Introduction
Ronald Dworkin is widely regarded as the leading living figure in legal philosophy and also among the few leading figures in political philosophy. Born on December 11, 1931 in Worcester, New York, he is currently a professor of Jurisprudence at University College, London and New York University, School of Law.
The concept of law as integrity is one of his most significant contributions to legal philosophy. What is particular and important about Dworkin’s work is its insistence on a marriage between pure philosophy and the practical business of political and legal argument. He argues that the most important virtue that law can display is that of integrity, which should be understood as the moral idea that the State should act on principle so each member of the community is treated as an equal.1-2
In Dworkin’s view, every legal interpretation reflects an underlying theory about the ge ....