•  287
    Finding Footing in a Postmodern Conception of Law
    Postmodern Openings 3 (1): 41-56. 2012.
    The following jurisprudence paper examines the implications of postmodern thought upon our conception of law. In this paper I argue that, despite the absolute, all-consuming moral relativism towards which postmodernism seems to lead in its most extreme form, its acceptance in fact in no way undermines the possibility of finding solid ground for our legal principles. This paper contends that moral objectivity can be found in the individual experience of suffering generated by these very subjectiv…Read more
  •  47
    Eating Peas with One’s Fingers: A Semiotic Approach to Law and Social Norms
    International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue Internationale de Sémiotique Juridique 26 (2): 257-274. 2013.
    This paper proposes a semiotic theory of norms—what I term normative semiotics. The paper’s central contention is that social norms are a language. Moreover, it is a language that we instinctively learn to speak. Normative behaviour is a mode of communication, the intelligibility of which allows us to establish cooperative relationships with others. Normative behaviour communicates an actor’s potential as a cooperative partner. Compliance with a norm is an act of communication: compliance signal…Read more
  •  335
    Law, Selfishness, and Signals: An Expansion of Posner’s Signaling Theory of Social Norms
    Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence 24 (1): 5-53. 2011.
    Eric Posner’s signaling theory of social norms holds that individuals adopt social norms in order to signal that they have a low discount rate , and are therefore reliable long-term cooperative partners. This paper radically expands Posner’s theory by incorporating internalization into his model . I do this by tethering Posner’s theory to an evolutionary model. I argue that internalization is an adaptive quality that enhances the individual’s ability to play Posner’s signaling game and was thus …Read more