 | Bodies of Law The most basic assertions about our bodies--that they are ours and distinguish us from each other, that they are private and have boundaries, races, and genders--are all political theories, constructed in legal texts for political purposes. So argues Alan Hyde in this first account of the body in legal thought. Hyde demonstrates that none of the constructions of the body in legal texts are universal truths that rest solely on body experience. Drawing on an array of fascinating case material, he shows that legal texts can construct all kinds of bodies, including those that are not owned at all, that are just like other bodies, that are public, open, and accessible to others. Further, the language, images, and metaphors of the body in legal texts can often convince us of positions to which we would not assent as a matter of political theory. Alan Hyde is a Professor of Law and Sidney Reitman Scholar at the Rutgers School of Law in Newark, N.J. His teaching areas include labor law, employment law, contracts, and federal jurisdiction. After receiving his A.B. from Stanford University and his J.D. from Yale University, he served as an instructor at New York University's School of Law and represented the National Labor Relations Board in the federal appeals courts. He has written articles for numerous law reviews as well as two books, Cases and Materials on Labor Law (with C.W. Summers and H.H. Wellington) and Bodies of Law. (Bowker Author Biography) |
