Oxford University Press American Legal Thought from Premodernism to Postmodernism: An Intellectual Voyage

American legal thought has progressed remarkably quickly from premodernism to modernism and into postmodernism in little over two hundred years, running from the nation's founding through today. This book tells the story of this mercurial journey through jurisprudence by showing the development of legal thought through these three intellectual periods. Feldman's narrative revolves around two broad interrelated themes: jurisprudential foundations and the idea of progress. Comprehensive and accessible, the book draws on significant cases from Supreme Court history to provide a handy one-volume overview for law students, practitioners, and legal scholars. Review This is an absorbing tour through two centuries of American legal thought. It is especially illuminating on postmodernism and the new, critical legal movements.-Richard Delgado, University of Colorado School of Law Feldman has written an intellectual history that is both provocative and learned. It is a much-needed contribution to our understanding of American legal theory and how it relates to more general intellectual and cultural trends.-James Hackney, Northeastern University School of Law An engaging, erudite, occasionally truculent tour of American legal thought.-Steven D. Smith, University of Notre Dame Law School Review Professor Stephen Feldman's newest book ... is a tour de force establishing him as an important scholar of jurisprudence. ... It is a well written history of American legal thought. ... The book is clear, concise and well written which enables it to cover a broad expanse of jurisprudential territory. ... it excels in its descriptions of the characteristics of the post modern era and the tenets of postmodernism. ... Feldman's book is a major contributor to the solution of one of postmodernism's severest criticisms, namely that it cannot be defined. After reading this book, make no mistake, one knows what postmodernism is and what postmodernism jurisprudence is all about. ― Tulsa Law Journal Vol.36:231, Fall 2000