Postmodern anarchy in the modern legal psyche: law, anarchy and psychoanalytic philosophy

Article

Hourigan, Daniel. 2012. "Postmodern anarchy in the modern legal psyche: law, anarchy and psychoanalytic philosophy." Griffith Law Review. 21 (2), pp. 330-348. https://doi.org/10.1080/10383441.2012.10854743
Article Title

Postmodern anarchy in the modern legal psyche: law, anarchy and psychoanalytic philosophy

ERA Journal ID33364
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorHourigan, Daniel
Journal TitleGriffith Law Review
Journal Citation21 (2), pp. 330-348
Number of Pages19
Year2012
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Place of PublicationBrisbane, Australia
ISSN1038-3441
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/10383441.2012.10854743
Abstract

In many a romantic vision of the state dominating the aggressive nature of human beings, the yolk of anarchy stirs. But in our postmodern era, such a vision commits itself to a fundamental legal-epistemological dilemma: once you know the law, you cannot go back to a 'no law' space. This has led some theorists to follow Robert Nozick in seeking the meagre assurances of private property and open markets to regulate in the absence of a state apparatus that is too conflict-ridden, too corrupt to be remedied. However, it is the view of this discussion that such a theoretical purview misses several crucial features of the psyche of the contemporary Australian law revealed by Lacanian psychoanalysis. The purpose of this discussion is to draw on the recent High Court of Australia appeal Lacey v Attorney-General of Queensland (2011) 242 CLR 573 and related materials to the end of proposing a commentary on a philosophico-psychoanalytic theory of law's relation to anarchy.

Keywordsanarchism; psychoanalysis and philosophy; practice of law; appelate courts
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020480504. Legal institutions (incl. courts and justice systems)
500320. Psychoanalytic philosophy
500202. History and philosophy of law and justice
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Byline AffiliationsGriffith University
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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