François Ost and the Law as the 'Empire of the Third'
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25247/P1982-999X.2025.v25n2.p116-121Keywords:
philosophy of law, theory of law, lawAbstract
François Ost's Le droit ou l'empire du tiers proposes an innovative theory of law centered on the figure of the “third party” as the essential mediator of social relations. Ost argues that law is not reduced to norms or procedures, but resides in the institutionalization of mediation, transforming binary relationships into triangulated structures. Using an interdisciplinary approach and a theatrical metaphor, the author analyses how law distinguishes itself from violence and love, offering a way of universalizing and containing passions. The review by Orlando Villas Bôas Filho highlights the relevance of the work to contexts of institutional crisis, reinforcing its topicality and theoretical depth.
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References
MATTEI, Ugo; NADER, Laura. Plunder: when de rule of law is illegal. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2008.
OST, François. Le droit ou l’empire du tiers. Paris: Dalloz, 2021.
ROULAND, Norbert. Anthropologie juridique. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1988.
SANTORO, Emilio. Diritto e diritti: lo stato di diritto nell’era della globalizzazione. Torino: G. Giappichelli Editore, 2008.
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