Practical legal philosophy: a pragmatist defence of the New Haven School of Jurisprudence

This thesis re-examines the New Haven School of Jurisprudence (NHSJ) in light of its resurgent popularity in south east Asia. It argues that critiques of the NHSJ have misidentified its core episteomological claims. For the first time, this thesis identifies and examines the textual basis for understanding the NHSJ as a radically pragmatist project. It argues that once the NHSJ's pragmatist epistemology is identified, the NHSJ is capable of responding to both contemporary and historical critics. This reading of the NHSJ also clarifies synergies identified between the NHSJ and traditional Chinese culture previously noted by Guigou Wang